Uncharted Lands
by AnnFleur
Summary: My hiatus fic, post-6x23. Warning: Cuteness ensues. M-rated, a little angst, a little fluff. I'm hoping to write on this until we can watch Bones again.
1. Revelations

**[Author's Note: This is going to be my hiatus fic, I hope I'm going to be able to stretch it until we can finally stress out over promo's and little teases again. Is it September yet? **

**So, this will be M from chapter 2 on, just because I can't resist their cuteness. Let me know what you think! Post-6x23 (and I'm one of those people who completely freaked out and cried and laughed for at least 3 days after the finale, actually, I haven't stopped. So be prepared.)]**

"_F__or once, losing so much control over personal happiness was bearable. Because she wasn't losing control alone. They were doing it together."_

Uncharted Lands.

1. Revelations

'I'm… I'm pregnant,' she finally said.

He looked at her. She stared back, worried, because his face wasn't showing much of anything. Shock, maybe. But not reassurance, love, happiness or anything else.

'You're the father,' she added, her heart racing with insecurity, anxiety and fear, her brain trying to think what else she could say to make him believe her.

Then, his ears connected to his brain again and a smile appeared on his face. A tiny one at first, slowly but surely evolving into the smile that was hers and hers alone. The smile he gave her when she'd done something ridiculously emotional, when her heart popped in overdrive once more. Just like now. Suddenly, her own face broke into a smile as well. She was scared, and she didn't know what to think of the news herself, but still, she felt happy. Happy and grateful.

Booth tried to control his mind. Pregnant? Bones? How, when? He knew how and when. Why? He knew why. Because God was watching. Because he was granted a life with this amazing woman in front of him. Tears welled up in his eyes. 'Pregnant?' he asked, his voice heavy with emotion, and he reached for her.

She nodded, still smiling up at him, witnessing how he registered everything and his mind made a decision. Acceptance. 'A baby,' he muttered. His arms reached for her and she moved towards him, being enveloped by him like she had been that one night, after Vincent had been killed. That one night that had decided the course of their lives together. And for once, losing so much control over personal happiness was bearable. Because she wasn't losing control alone. They were doing it together.

As she he felt her melting into his embrace, the questions started coming. How did she feel? Did she want this? Was she going to accept his part in it? And then, he realized this wasn't the time. At all. Were they ready? He didn't know. He knew he was ready, he wanted this, hell, it was all he wanted of the future. But did she want it? Was she ready? His hands caressed her back, and when he leaned back to look into her eyes, he found her looking at him, trying to find answers of her own.

'Are you ok with this?' he asked softly. She looked at the ground before meeting his eyes again.

'I'm not sure whether 'ok' is the right term, but I accept the consequences of our actions,' she said. 'What about you?'

He smiled at her. 'I want this. Bones, I want it. If you want it. It's gonna be amazing, Bones. Our little baby, can you imagine it?'

'It's.. Pretty amazing, right?' she said, her eyes glistering.

'Yeah, it is,' he nodded, taking her back in his arms again.

'We should talk about it,' she said, her voice slightly muffled by his coat.

'Yeah, we probably should. Come home with me,' he said, she nodded and he started walking towards his car, cradling her to him like a knight protecting his princess. And in a way, that's what he was.

They had first spent the night together after Vincent had been killed. She had needed his comfort and he had needed hers, and later, comfort alone hadn't been enough. They needed each other's love. And at one point, they had simultaneously sought it in each other, and found it in soft, warm lips and searching, learning, soothing hands. Even though it hadn't been planned, it hadn't been a mistake and it had opened up a door to a new universe for them.

After that night, Brennan had spent a few nights alone, but in the end, the drug that was his love had a stronger hold on her than she thought. She couldn't sleep without him. So she had sought him out once more, and once more he had been there for her. Willing her to stay forever, he had held her close to him all night long, and ever since that night, that was where she had been every time the sun went down. Right there, in his arms.

However, the only night they had made love unprotected, was their first night. And it had been enough to conceive a child.

Now, she was sitting in his car, looking at him, wanting him to say something. But he didn't. He was so scared that what he wanted to say would be the wrong thing, that she wouldn't want to hear it. And he couldn't lose her. Not again. So he settled for letting her talk.

'How did you find out?' he asked softly, while driving to his home.

She looked at him, her eyes uncertain, was right now the best time to discuss this?

'Eh.. Just before this case, why?'

He looked at her, his eyes soft and comforting. 'It was.. That one night, wasn't it?'

She nodded. 'Yes, Booth. It was the only time when..'

'Yeah, when we didn't use anything. I'm sorry, Bones..'

She frowned. 'But.. I thought you wanted this?'

'I do,' he corrected himself hastily, 'But it should have been our choice, Bones. But I'm very happy that it happened.'

'It's just overwhelming,' Brennan added.

'Yeah,' he nodded. 'And really unexpected. But still, it's amazing and I want it.'

'I want it too, Booth,' she admitted. 'I don't have much time left if I ever wanted a child. And now I can have that.'

He hesitated a moment. 'Bones.. You know.. You know I have to be involved, right? You can't raise our child alone. I won't let you.'

She nodded. 'Yeah, I know. I don't want you to.'

'What?' he misunderstood her completely. 'Bones, we talked about this.. Before my brain tumour, remember?'

'No, no! I meant, I don't want you to let me raise it alone. I want you to be involved.'

'Oh,' he sighed, relief washing over him. She looked at him, and found reassurance in his response.

Then they reached his apartment and he let her in first, his hand finding its place on her lower back. As soon as he had closed the door she turned to face him, standing about two metres away.

'Are you sure we can do this, Booth?' she asked, her face betraying every ounce of insecurity she felt. His face softened, his eyes showing her everything he felt and wanted. 'Yeah, Bones. Come here,' he gestured for her to find her place in his arms.

She did, the need for his warmth overwhelming her once more.

'Yeah, we can do this,' he repeated. 'We're gonna do this, Bones.'

He felt her tears dampen his shirt and he leaned back to look at her face.

'What's wrong? Oh Bones, you're not happy about this, are you.'

'No,' she said a little louder than she meant. 'No, I am happy. It's just.. Our whole lives are about to change, Booth.'

'And you're scared it won't work out.'

'Yeah,' she admitted, and his hand came to brush through her hair and hold her to him.

'Look, I know it's hard, but just.. Trust me, ok? We'll be ok, we're going to take this one day at a time and before you know it you'll be used to it.'

'To what? What are we going to do, Booth? How are we going to deal with this?'

And he didn't know. He didn't know where they were going to live. If they were even going to live together. How often they'd sleep in the same bed, cook for each other and drive home together. If he would do the groceries, or her, he didn't know.

'I.. We'll figure it out. Let's just.. Enjoy it, for now, ok Bones?' he asked her, and she nodded into his chest. 'Ok.'

After a few moments of unguarded peace she disentangled herself from his arms and headed for his bathroom, without saying a word. He knew he had to let her go, so he did, assuming she would come back to him when she was ready. He made two cups of tea and got ready for bed, tired from working undercover and everything that had happened. He heard the water run in the bathroom, and he smiled at himself. Leave it to Bones to take a shower without letting him know. But he was grateful, because it meant she knew his shower was hers. And his life was hers. He was ready to share everything with her and she seemed to understand and accept it. At least the first part of it, where his home was hers.

Fifteen minutes later she emerged from the bathroom, wearing one of his oversized shirts and sweatpants. He was sitting up in bed, the covers over his legs. She hesitated a second before getting in next to him, taking the still steaming cup from the nightstand on her side.

'Thanks,' she smiled at him and he nodded. 'Sure.'

Sipping their tea in silence, they thought about their new life together. After a while, Brennan broke the silence.

'Are you still angry?'

He looked at her, and his eyes already told her his answer. 'No,' he answered truthfully. 'I feel good. You?'

She sighed. 'I'm a little angry at what you call fate, but other than that, I feel strong. Strong enough to handle this. Although I'm also scared.'

He nodded. 'That's understandable, Bones. Neither one of us saw this coming.'

'It was inconsiderate of us not to use protection,' she muttered, not meeting his eyes.

He smiled. 'Well, I think the fact that we were consumed by sadness, grief, passion and heat kind of made us inconsiderate.'

She looked at him, her eyes serious. 'Still, it shouldn't have happened. I should have known better.'

'Look, Bones, we did it together, remember. So it's as much my fault as it is yours. But you know how small the chances of you immediately getting pregnant are, right?'

'Yes,' she simply stated. 'You would call it a miracle.'

'I would. And it's our miracle. And I'm grateful for our miracle.'

The more he repeated the word, the more it sounded right. Their miracle. She put a hand on her belly, and he noticed it, moving closer to her to cover her hand with one of his. 'You are carrying my child, Bones. That's the most beautiful thing in this world.'

She looked at him and saw the softness and adoration in his eyes. And she believed him. But there was one thing that she was really scared about. The girl that had been abandoned for the first time at fifteen, and so many times after that, still didn't completely trust him to stick around. Even though she knew he would do it for the child, she still didn't believe his level of commitment to her. And it scared the hell out of her that she could end up alone again, especially now.

After a while, he pulled her closer to his chest, his arm coming around her shoulders, the other still on her stomach. 'I want to tell you something,' he said softly. She nodded, settling into his broad chest. 'Ok.'

'I.. I know you don't believe in marriage. And I'm not going to ask you because I leaned my lesson last time around..' She cast a glance at his face and saw a flicker of sadness cross his face at the memory of another rejection. Her heart soared with sadness and the need to comfort him, and she snuggled a little closer. He tightened his hold on her and continued.

'But if you ever.. You know, if you ever change your mind, tell me. Because I don't want to pressure you into anything, but I'm yours. I knew, Bones. Right from the beginning.'

His words from that cursed night found their way to her ears and tears welled up in her eyes. He didn't see it, her head settled under his chin, but he felt her tremble and his hand softly stroked her arm, letting him know he was there.

'Thanks, Booth,' she said. 'I still don't know if you can say with certainty how you feel about me in forty or fifty years, but.. I'll try to make this work.'

'Just be truthful to me and to yourself, Bones. Tell me how you feel, even if you think I don't want to hear it. Then this will work out fine, trust me.'

'I know that I will always have strong feelings for you,' she continued. 'But I cannot be more precise as to the nature of those feelings.'

He smiled. 'That's ok. As long as you know now, and you let me know if they change, then that's ok.'

She finished her tea and put the cup on the nightstand, getting under the blankets, preparing to sleep.

'A baby, Bones,' Booth whispered before putting his own cup down and joining her. She turned to face him. 'Crazy, right?'

'Our baby,' he repeated, putting his arms around her back. She moved closer, her own hands on his chest, and she sighed. 'I'm so glad you're not mad.'

He chuckled into her hair and she felt the movement vibrate through his body. 'Of course I'm not mad. I love it.' And he kissed the top of her head, and it was the last thing she felt before sleep overtook her.


	2. Realizations

Uncharted Lands

2. Realizations.

A few hours later, Booth was still awake. He was afraid to go to sleep, afraid she would disappear, afraid this wonderful moment would slip from his grasp. He had trouble believing and understanding what was going on. A baby. She was pregnant with his child.

He remembered when Rebecca had told him she was pregnant. He'd been much younger, and his first thought had been: Oh my God. What now? But not this time. The thought had been partially the same. Oh my God. But the second part had made the difference. Yes. Oh my God, yes. She's pregnant. We're going to be a family.

Because never in a million years had he considered the possibility of her not wanting him in her family, not at that moment.

Later, of course, he had remembered that this was Bones, and sometimes her mind worked in a very different way from his. But not now. She had told him she wanted him in her family, and it had soothed his heart to hear her say it, even though deep down he couldn't really picture it any other way.

But here he was, with her, them, in his arms, and although one side of him was ridiculously happy, another side was worried. They had promised each other to wait, to make sure they were ready before doing this, because both of them had been hurt enough in the past. But fate had stepped in, and made the decision for them. He wasn't sorry. He didn't regret anything. But still, it was overwhelming.

She stirred slightly in his arms, her breath hitching before he felt her softly move her head, press her face into his chest. 'Shh, it's ok,' he whispered, hoping she wasn't having a bad dream. This just felt so good, being able to take care of her like this, with her allowing him to. He knew she wasn't feeling comfortable with the care he had shown her on many of the past nights, but still, he was determined to show her how deeply he cared for her and how she should never ever doubt his intentions. He thought back to that first night, when she'd trusted him enough to fall into his arms, seeking his comfort. It had been her choice to make love, he had tried to stop her but in the end, there was no stopping either of them once her shirt came off and her hands touched his bare chest.

Once her sad eyes bore into his, seeking for an ounce of strength to hang onto, he was lost and she was saved and they both had known it and neither of them had cared.

He was torn from his thoughts when he felt her hand on his chest. He looked down at her, and his heart stopped.

Two blue eyes were looking straight at him, slightly dazed from sleep.

'Hey,' he whispered. She blinked a couple of times, never breaking eye contact. 'Hey,' she finally managed.

'Something wrong?' he asked, concerned, his hand stroking up and down her back. She shook her head softly. 'Not really.'

'Not really, huh. What is it?' He knew when she wanted him to shut up, but he also knew when she wanted him to push a little. This was one of those times.

Her hands came to his chest, and he could feel their heat through his shirt.

'It's just.. I keep thinking this is a dream, Booth. That I can wake up at any moment.'

He nodded slowly. 'I've been feeling the same. But it's not a dream, Bones. It's real.'

She turned away from him, onto her back. 'I don't know if I'm strong enough yet, Booth.'

'For what?' he asked, turning his head towards her, lying on his side next to her. One arm lying between them, the other found it's way to her belly and he stroked her softly. 'You're strong enough, Bones.'

'Booth.. Raising a child, that's a lot of responsibility. We need to be sure about us before we do this.'

'I'm sure,' he said immediately, searching her eyes for unhidden feelings of doubt, finding none. She wasn't doubting them. She was doubting herself.

'I'm.. I know you say we're strong enough and we can do this. But I.. I'm not prepared for this, Booth. I want it, I've wanted a family for quite some time now. And although I never saw it happening, it is happening and I'm not sure how to deal with it now.'

He nodded. 'I understand, Bones. It's sudden. But you know what, it happened and it's beautiful and we're going to rock as parents, ok? You're gonna be a great mom.'

The softness and truthfulness in his voice wasn't lost to her and she turned her head to face him.

Suddenly it was clear to him how to prove her. Make love to her. Show her that you're great together, that nothing can get between you.

So he turned until he was lying half on top of her, his hands came around to cup her face. Her baby blue eyes were staring up at him, and he read uncertainty as well as confusion in them. He smiled down at her and slowly she smiled back, and that's when he kissed her.

His lips descended onto hers, softly at first, then more urgent as emotions were taking over their bodies. Brennan felt a surge of love and warmth flood her body and mind and she tried to pour it all into her kiss, her lips claiming his and her hands finding their place on the back of his shoulders.

She was clinging to him and he held her, one hand sliding under her neck to support his weight and the other caressing her side. His leg slid between hers and she gasped at the contact, this quickly turning into an overheated situation.

Brennan felt it and she broke the kiss, the speed of their encounter throwing her off balance. 'Wait,' she breathed, and he understood, kissing her cheek and down to her neck before releasing her.

He had trouble controlling himself, willing his body to slow down, but once it got a taste of his drug called Bones, he was lost all over again. This woman was his counterpart in every way. Without her he could no longer live. He wanted to tell her but he knew it would scare her so he kept it to himself, watching her as she slowly turned towards him, needing his comfort more than his body. He smiled at her, letting her know it was all right, and his arms stretched for her to come home to. And she did, without hesitation, and it made him the happiest man on the planet.

Without resistance she moved into his arms, but she quickly changed her mind again. 'I'm hot,' she muttered, and tried to discard of her shirt while in his arms. He chuckled and helped her out, his pulse racing, parts of his body responding immediately. She noticed it and a blush covered her cheeks. 'If you'd rather I keep this on, that's ok,' she whispered.

'No, no, please,' he said. 'It's ok, I just.. I just really think you're beautiful.'

'We can have sex if you want,' she stated matter-of-factly. He smiled at her and pulled his arms more tightly around her bare back.

'No, that's ok, you're tired and I just want to hold you. It's just.. I can't always hide my reaction to you, you know.'

She nodded, her nose touching his chest. 'I know, it's only natural for you to..'

'Ok, enough, let's just sleep, ok?' he interrupted her, not in the mood for her squint sex talk. She snuggled closer into his embrace and the feeling of her bare chest pressed against his clothed one was just erotic. His hands went to the rim of her pants, and hesitated. Would she allow him to do this? They had slept together, but this was something different. This was about trust, not sex.

At first she didn't understand that he was requesting something. Then, when he tugged lightly on her waistband and stopped, she understood and without a second thought she nodded into his chest. He didn't move and at first she was afraid she had misunderstood, but then she realized he was afraid of moving before he had her permission. She placed her hands over his and helped him slide down the sweatpants. They ended up on the floor and she was lying in his arms almost naked, apart from black panties. One of his hands on her back, the other lower on her back, he felt luckier and happier than ever. She was lying naked in his arms, letting him take care of her body while she slept. 'Thank you, Bones,' he whispered to her.

She moved her arm around his back and pressed him closer, not answering him, just reveling in the feelings that were racing through her.

It felt strange to be so at his mercy, but at the same time, she didn't want anything else. He would want to take more care of her than he already did, and she would allow him to do so from time to time. Because from now on, they were a family, and that meant sharing more than she might be comfortable with at first.

At that moment, she realized something. Even though she didn't want to admit it, she was happy this had happened. Very, very happy. She was carrying Booth's child, and that didn't only make her feel amazing, his response to her every move made her feel loved, wanted and she felt like she belonged somewhere other than in the lab. She belonged in his arms.

So yes, this was unexpected and yes, maybe it had been a mistake, but Temperance Brennan wouldn't want it any other way. The possessiveness of 'to belong' had often repulsed and infuriated her, and blame it on the hormones, but for the first time in her life she wasn't afraid to admit that for a long time, her heart had belonged to Booth. And his heart had belonged to her. And for a long time, all she wanted to live for was keeping Booth safe, helping him catch as many murderers as he had killed people and be the object of his affection.

His arms tightened a little around her, indicating he was still awake. He felt her respond, pressing her lips to his chest briefly, and he smiled in her hair. She had such an amazingly open and warm heart, and he was so happy to be the one to cherish and protect it. And now, something tiny was growing inside of her, and it made his own heart unbelievably full and warm. A few months ago he had been angry at every woman in his life. At Rebecca, at Hannah and at Bones. Especially at Bones. She was beside him every day and he just had to ignore their attraction because she didn't believe in it? But over time his anger towards her had dissipated. It wasn't her fault and it had been childish of him to blame his loneliness on her. And besides, he had never been lonely nor alone. Because she had always been right at his side, ready to take some of his burdens and carry them for him, even if they were not her burdens to bear.

A few minutes later, her breathing evened out and her hand on his chest relaxed, indicating she was asleep. His heart still so full of things he wanted to say, he couldn't resist the urge to tell her what he wanted now that she was too far away to register his words.

'I love you,' he whispered into her hair. 'I love you and I'll never stop.'

And she didn't hear him, because she was indeed asleep, but he felt so much better for having said it. Some day he would say it to her when she was awake, whisper it to her while making love or just say it, overwhelm her with it. He knew she might never be able to say the same to him, because she believed it to be such a vulnerable, precious thing, but he didn't care. He knew she loved him by every move she made and as long as he could read her body, it would tell him all he needed to know.

**[****Author's note: Ok, not much happened here. Next chapter is smut, because it's late at night and I'm feeling sexy, but I hope this didn't disappoint. **

**Oh! And DB tweeted that HH, ED and him**** did a commentary for 'Blackout in the Blizzard', how amazing is that! He tweeted 'with Em', I must have checked that over 100 times today. Cuteness!]**


	3. Three

**[Author's Note: Warning, M-rated. I've been in a mushy mood lately so maybe this is too much, but I hope you like it anyway.]**

Uncharted Lands

3. Three

'_When my landscape changes, rearranges, I'll be stronger than I've ever been.'_

In the darkest moments before dawn, a man returns to his bed. What life is he leading? Is it the same life the man was living half an hour ago? A day ago, a year ago?

As he moves back under the covers, a woman gravitates towards his body heat. Is she the cause of his confusion, the reason why he feels as if his heart is too small for his emotions? Happiness is waging a war with sadness and fear inside the man's heart, causing him to leave her side in the middle of the night, to find a place where he could think about what to say to her, what to do when she wakes up.

Booth lies back down in his bed, next to Brennan's warm body. He needed to go to the bathroom and while he was there, emotions had overcome him and he had taken his time to calm down, shake his nerves and collect his thoughts before joining her sleeping form. Now he was back next to her, his hand on her side letting her subconscious mind know he was there.

Very few things were certain in this world, Booth knew it. But one of those certainties was the love he cherished for Temperance Brennan. And he had made sure she knew it, too. In that one night, in those unguarded moments when she had given herself entirely to him, he had seen the same from her. They belonged together, that was as certain as it was ever going to get.

Somewhere deep in Brennan's mind she registered his hand on her side, and slowly, her eyes opened to find him staring at her.

'Hey,' she whispered, her voice barely audible.

He smiled. 'Hey, sorry I woke you. Go back to sleep.'

'What time is it?' she asked, her mind slowly waking up.

'Early, I just had to use the bathroom.'

She moved a little closer to him, just because, and he stroked up and down her bare arm with his hand. He still remembered the trust she'd shown when he had asked her to sleep almost naked next to him, and now her vulnerability struck him once more.

Seeing her like this, her eyes clear in the darkness of the night, made him think back to when they had first made love. It had been the night after Vincent was murdered. He had taken her home, wanting to make sure she was ok and needing her close, and she had allowed him to keep her safe.

She had come to his bed not long before dawn, asking him without words to ease the pain inside, and he had tried, hugging her close, seeking comfort himself in holding her body.

Friendly, comforting closeness had turned into loving passion when she had asked him how she could live through this, how she could ever survive a blow like this, because it had been the only way he could think of to show her that she had so much to live for and that it was always worth it.

_*six weeks ago*_

'Booth.. How can I ever live a normal life? When everything is just so fragile?'

Her voice broke. 'When.. When everything I care about can just disappear like that?'

'Hey,' he soothed, his fingers brushing through her hair. 'Don't say that. You don't mean that.'

'But I do, I mean if I can lose everything this easily.. I can't handle any more pain, Booth.'

He turned, leaving her on her back on the bed, his body lying half on hers. His hands came up to cup her cheeks and softly, he brushed his lips over hers. 'Nothing will happen. We're safe. You're strong, we'll get through this, Bones.'

She didn't respond to the soft touch of his lips, her eyes were clouded with tears. 'How can you love so much when you know the pain it'll cause you?' Her chin wrinkled and a tear escaped her eye. He caught it with his thumb and brushed his lips over hers again.

'I can't hide my feelings like you, Bones. You love just as much and you'll hurt just as much if anything ever happens. But I know it'll be worth the chance. It'll hurt more if you never admitted it to yourself.'

He knew he was being way too blunt with her but sometimes that's the only thing she would register what he was trying to say. And she did.

Her lips responded to another touch of his, softly moving under his, as if her soul was finding something to hold onto. She kissed me back, his mind was screaming. You can make her feel that you're right, his body was whispering. And he listened to both.

He shifted to lie beside her, his right hand traveling down from her cheek to her side, caressing, asking permission. She turned her head to kiss him again and her own hand came up to cover his, making the decision, moving over to cup her breast.

Suddenly, all Brennan could see was Booth. All she could feel was Booth, all she could hear. Booth. And she knew this was the right thing to do. They had been building up to it for a while now, both knowing that it was inevitable, both just making sure they chose the right time. And this was the right time.

He had always wanted their first time to be slow but something had told him it wouldn't be. But it was. They both felt their connection, and it was true and real between them, and it was all they needed. They both knew this wasn't just about comfort. This had been inevitable since the moment they met.

His hand softly held her breast, not daring to move, still wanting her to prove it was all right. Then, she surprised him by cradling his face between her hands and moving up to kiss him fiercely, her lips parting and her tongue asking access to his mouth. He opened for her and their tongues met for the second time in their lives, and it felt just as right as it had the first time. Then, it had threatened to touch her imperviousness and she had run. Now, it touched her strong heart and she ran, but towards him instead of from him. Her hands moved over his broad shoulders, down to the hem of his shirt, needing to feel his body under her touch. He assisted, taking off the shirt in one movement. Then, he dared to move as his hands too wanted to feel her skin. So he took her with him, making her straddle his lap as his hands tried to pull his shirt over her head. She was naked underneath and he gasped. She was outrageously beautiful.

He had seen her figure often enough, fantasized about it even more. But reality was, it had always been fantasy and it would never come close to reality.

Her skin was fair, almost ivory, making for a beautiful contrast with her hair and bright blue eyes. She wasn't tiny like most of his girlfriends had been, but instead, she was gorgeously curved, her waist slender and her hips rounded, her breasts full and moving with her breaths.

For a moment, he was frozen by the sight of her naked upper body.

She looked at him, a blush quickly covering her face, moving down to her chest. She reached for him and he pulled her down for a kiss, one that told her what he felt, one that sealed their fate once more. 'God, you're beautiful,' he said, and the utter truth in his voice rendered her speechless.

She felt his hard member under her centre, the feeling of him creating a heat she hadn't felt for a long time. Suddenly, her need was more than love. It became a raw hunger for his body as well, as she worked the knot in the cord holding his pants up. He put his hands on her thighs, watching her face as she worked to open his pants.

He stroked up her thighs, to her waist, then cupped her ass and pulled her firmer onto his hardness. She gasped and her hands stopped, she just moved off him and started pulling his pants down. He helped her and somehow, her pants ended up on the floor as well. Now, she was wearing just her panties and he a pair of striped boxers. She smiled, as she realized she hadn't expected his boxers to be normal ones. She knew Booth, she knew everything about him. No more fear, no more hiding. With Booth she would trust herself to let go.

'We're really doing this,' she whispered, and he sat up next to her, his face concerned. 'You wanna stop?'

She shook her head softly. 'Don't ask me that,' she said, and he understood. She had made a decision and she didn't want to be given a chance to back away from it. So he didn't give her any. He now straddled her and with one hand supporting her neck and head, he lowered her down, kissing all the sense and logic out of her with something that could only be described as a dream. She let him lower her to the bed, her hands on his muscled shoulders and chest, kneading and learning.

He gasped as she touched a scar, and she reached up to place a kiss over it. Then she realized it was where he had taken a bullet from her and she found his eyes, holding them for a second, letting him know how grateful she still was, although she hated him for it. He understood and captured her lips again, telling her you're welcome and I will catch any bullet that comes your way, like it or not. She kissed him back, her tongue telling him the same: Any bullet coming your way is mine to stop. He understood and as his hands softly touched her breasts, his thumb caressing her nipple made her moan, and all he could think about was those little sounds, and the promises they held.

He supported his weight on one elbow as his other hand moved down her body, softly grazing her nipple, further down to her bellybutton and the rim of her panties. Her hips curved up and her hands moved down as well, reaching for his manhood. He gasped as her graceful hands cupped him, and she felt a rush of heat travel to her centre as she felt his size for the first time. She softly gripped him through his boxers, then moved her hands under the rim to caress his tip.

His hand moved to brush hers away. 'Later,' he whispered and she understood, moving her hands to the rim of his boxers to remove them, and he helped her, and soon he was completely naked.

Booth wasn't a shy man. Sure, he was a prude when it came to talking about sex, but he was confident in his body. There was just one thing that could get him on edge. Temperance Brennan and her baby blue orbs of wisdom, watching him, taking him in, seeing all his flaws, made him nervous. So he moved his head down to kiss her again, softly, his tongue tracing hers and soothing her worries, but also arousing her even more. His free hand was on her side, grazing the side of her breast, and her hand covered his to move him in the direction she wanted him.

When his hand touched the rim of her panties, she released him and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close, capturing his eyes and holding them.

'If we do this.. I'm not going back,' Booth whispered one last time, making sure she understood what she was getting into. She nodded. 'I know. I don't want you to go back.'

That settled it for him, and not giving her any more time to reconsider, he sat up on his knees next to her, carefully removing her panties. She assisted, her legs raising from the bed. Then she surprised him by wrapping her legs around his waist, exposing herself to him, trying to pull him closer. He smiled at her, the beauty of her actions devastating to him and he moved as close to her as he could. Her centre was throbbing wet in front of him, caressing the underside of his hard member, and he was just in awe of the situation. Again he reveled in the control he had, of course he wanted to take her right there, but something in him gave him the power to take this slowly. She seemed to be in more of a hurry, her legs pulling him closer, her hips slightly rotating, creating a friction that was almost enough to make him lose his control. Almost.

He moved his hips a little, causing his cock to rub along her heat, and he felt how ready she was. He knew she hadn't had sex for quite a while, and he just had to ask.

'You want me to go slow?'

Her eyes, which had been roaming his body, moved back to hold his. She shook her head softly and he saw the truth in her eyes. 'No. I'm fine. You won't hurt me.'

Her voice was soft, and he heard her arousal. He decided to go slow anyway, just to make sure, and locking eyes with her, he cupped her breasts as his cock found her entrance, like they were made to fit together as one.

As he joined them, tremors of intense pleasure and love crashed over him, and his eyes closed with their intensity. Brennan felt the same, her walls stretching to accommodate him, slightly protesting against the feeling long forgotten. He stilled when he felt her tense and heard her hiss, and he opened his eyes to look into hers, finding her eyes closed but her face open for him to read, displaying wonder, love, arousal and slight discomfort. He waited for it to disappear, and it did so quickly, and her hips told the story of her heart as she rotated them, asking him to move. He did, joining them fully, and a deep moan escaped Brennan's mouth. 'Oh..'

'Damn, Bones,' Booth whispered, feeling her stretch around him, her heat almost too much for him to bear. He had to stop, not just to give her time to adjust but to gain some of his control, his cock calling for him to just take her but his head screaming to take it slow.

He looked down at her body, so thankful for every inch of beauty that was finally uncovered and open for his eyes to admire. Then, he felt her move as her eyes opened to look into his, and he obeyed, how could he not.

He started a rhythm, long, slow strokes that made her insides quiver with pleasure, as he filled her over and over again. It had been a long time since she had even ever touched herself, so she was overwhelmed by the feelings he created, having feared they were lost forever, but they weren't. They were stronger than ever as the love for this man drove her to new heights, her body started moving with his, shaking as he hit a sweet spot inside of her. 'Ah, Booth,' she managed, and he moved his hands to come around her back, as he moved down over her. Her legs fell apart, no longer clutching around his back, giving him more space to move, encouraging him with her movements and her lips on his neck. Then, his lips found hers and as their tongues dueled, she felt it begin in the pit of her stomach.

'Oh my God, Booth,' she whispered into his mouth and he found her eyes, breaking their kiss, seeing her eyes widen with wonder as her orgasm took control of her.

Her insides massaged him, milked him, as he had no choice but to join her ecstasy, coming harder and harder than he ever had. Sweet endearments left his mouth, and he half hoped she didn't hear them, but he was too much in love to stop them from leaving his mouth. Finally, he moved to lie next to her, and as her tremors subsided and her breathing came down she remained on her back, lost for words, the silence between them louder than any sound.

After a while, she found her strength again, and turned to face him. 'I believe you now, when you said that it'll be less painful.'

She didn't need to explain further. He nodded. 'I'm glad. Thank you, Bones.'

She didn't move, but she regarded his body with care. 'You are in exceptional shape.'

He chuckled. 'Thanks. Hey, you ok?' He had of course seen her hesitation, the small signs of her insecurity, and she cursed herself for showing him.

'Yeah Booth, I'm fine. This was amazing.' What she really wanted to ask was if she could stay, but she couldn't ask him. She didn't want to be that dependent. That wasn't her.

So she moved to the edge of the bed, but he caught her waist. 'You're not going. Bones, please, stay here.' She turned around and envy encompassed her as she saw the vulnerability Booth let her see, the desperation in his eyes, the truth in his plea. She smiled, nodded, and moved closer, her cheek pressed to his chest, her arms around his solid body. 'We're going to hold,' she whispered. He nodded and pressed a kiss to her hair. 'We're the centre, we're gonna hold,' he answered, and both of them found the peace they had needed to finally fall into a peaceful sleep.

That was six weeks ago.

Now, he was lying beside her, still more and more in love with her every second he spent close to her. He had no idea how this would proceed, he had no idea how she really felt or how scared she really was. He knew she was at least a little scared, and he had vowed to whoever was listening that he would always keep trying to make her feel good, safe and protected. To help her chase away her fears, because ever since that night he knew it wasn't just his task to protect her mind, body and soul. It was his task to protect himself as well, for if something happened to him, a part of her would die with him. And he would never let that happen to her. Not before, and not now, when she was making his wildest dreams come true while she was asleep next to him.

Inside of her, a baby was developing. A child, their child. The product of their devotion to each other. And even though it was unexpected and they weren't the least bit prepared, he had never wanted anything more in his life. Except for her. And now he could have both. His entire world was changing, his life rearranging itself to accommodate her, and he knew that in the end, both of them would be stronger because of it.


	4. She

**[Author's Note: First of all, thanks to everyone who has read and/or reviewed this story. Especially the reviews are greatly appreciated, you've been saying wonderful things. I love it.**

**I hope you like this chapter, there's so much I want to write about, it's hard to keep up with my own thoughts sometimes.]**

Uncharted Lands 

4. She

"_In that book which is my memory, on the first page of the chapter that is the day when I first met you, appear the words: Here begins a new life."_

'Booth, wake up, Booth.'

Slowly, his mind registered her words, and he who was usually so fast at waking up found his mind slow to respond to her call. Knowing she was next to him made it harder to wake from his peaceful sleep, his mind still afraid that she'd be gone when he woke up.

But she wasn't. She was right next to him, under the sheets, their soft texture the only thing covering her body, but she was calling to him.

'We have to tell Angela. I don't want her to find out from someone else, or notice changes in me or something. I want to tell her, Booth.'

He was finally fully awake. 'Good morning, Bones.. Yeah, you should tell Angela.'

'But what if she disapproves?'

He frowned at her, and she frowned back. He managed a sweet smile as his brain worked to find a good answer. She was fully awake and he wasn't, making it hard for him to chose his words right.

'Why.. Why would she not be over the moon?'

Brennan shrugged. 'She just had a child, Booth. It's a little bit strange, don't you think?'

'What, that you are pregnant? That's not strange, Bones. It's amazing and wonderful and Angela will be so happy for you.'

She nodded slowly. 'Ok.'

Seemingly content with his answers, she put her head down next to his again, seeking the warmth and comfort of his body once more. He cradled her to him, stroking her back.

'Hey, everyone will be happy for us. They'll love it, Bones. You're gonna be such an amazing mom.'

She heard rather than saw his smile, and she smiled too. 'Ok. Really? It's so unexpected, Booth.'

'I know,' he whispered into her hair, his nose capturing her sweet scent. 'It's unexpected but it's still awesome.'

She closed her eyes, hoping to hold onto the feeling of peace that was encompassing her. 'You're a really good father, Booth,' she whispered. He chuckled. 'Thanks. I'm going to try to be even better for our kid. I mean, there are some things I wanted to do differently with Parker.'

'I understand,' Brennan answered, her eyes closed. He felt her lashes on his chest, something he had never noticed before. It felt like a tiny butterfly was padding along his chest every time she moved her eyes or blinked.

'We can draw up legal papers ensuring you time with our child if we separate,' Brennan continued.

'Hey,' Booth interrupted. 'That's not gonna happen. Don't even think about that now, Bones.'

She directed her eyes up at him, finding him looking down at her. 'Sorry.'

He smiled down at her.

'Just don't.. Don't think about that. I understand you want to be safe with everything, but it won't come to that with us. With me and Rebecca, well, things were different.'

'Different how?' Brennan asked.

Booth knew the answer. He didn't have to think about it for one second. But he also knew he had to go slow with her. Would it be too soon? He decided probably not.

'Different because I didn't love Rebecca like I love you.'

There, he said it. Brennan broke eye contact, her cheek coming back to his chest, her heart almost pounding out of her chest. 'Oh.'

He prayed to God hoping she wouldn't run, hoping it wasn't too soon. He was happy to feel her accept his words, as she slowly moved her hand to lie next to her cheek on his chest. Softly, her fingers grazed his skin and he felt her relax into his embrace.

'I think it's safe to say I have the same feelings for you, Booth,' she whispered, not soft enough for him to miss but not quite loud either. He smiled into her hair, his arms tightened around her body and his eyes watered at the sound of her words.

But she wasn't finished.

'And I've come to realize I was wrong.'

'Oh?' It was all he could manage, his brain working to file away the information she had just given him, her first confession of her love for him.

'I was wrong about love,' she continued. 'I used to believe that my life would be worth living without being romantically involved. That my science would provide everything I need. But it doesn't. And you were right, I'll have less regrets now that we're.. Together, if anything ever.. You know, if anything happens.'

He nodded into her hair, his eyes still watery and he didn't trust himself to meet her eyes. 'I'm so glad you think that, Bones. You're right. Everyone needs someone, you know, to just talk to. It's not a sign of weakness. It's a sign of strength, to be able to share something like this.'

'Don't get too psychological, I hate psychology,' she muttered, and he chuckled. 'Sorry.'

He wanted to show her how much he loved her, but suddenly he was nervous. Although he knew her body quite well by now, every sound she made, and which touch brought on which response, but he wanted something deeper.

Suddenly, she sat up. 'I'm going to take a shower,' she said, moving away from him and towards the edge of the bed. He reacted as quickly as his body would let him, capturing her hand. 'Hey, so soon? It's early.'

'Yeah, I want to stop by the hospital, see Angela before I go to the lab,' she answered. Then, she looked down, almost shyly. 'You're welcome to join me though.'

He smiled at her, nodding, and moved a little closer to press a kiss to her spine before she escaped his grasp.

Brennan moved from the bed, not really attempting to cover herself, still wearing only her panties. Booth was stunned once more by her natural beauty, the shape of her body, the shape God must have had in mind when he created the perfect woman. As he was looking at her from behind, she looked like she was made for sin and he knew her front didn't look any different. Her outside, her skin tone and shape were just perfect to get his insides on fire within a second. Then, God had created a perfect brain and heart and with those three put together, he had forged the most amazing combination of looks, intellect and emotional capabilities, and called it Temperance Brennan.

So he had no choice but to follow her. It was never his choice to make. From now on, his life was decided for him: He would follow her anywhere she wanted him to, gladly. Starting with her bathroom.

He waited until he heard the water run, and he was sure she was in the cubicle.

Then, he followed her, discarding his clothes on his bed before entering her bathroom, naked. She had left the door open for him and the scent of her shower gel welcomed him. His heart swelled at the thought of the scent lingering there, of her leaving a part of herself behind for him.

The shower door that separated the bathroom from the running water was already damp, obscuring his view and making him even more eager to join her. He was drawn to her like an addict to the drug, and in many ways, that was what he was.

He put two towels ready for them to use and then opened the shower door as softly as he could. Brennan was inside, anticipating him joining her, with her back to the door because she too liked to be surprised every now and then. Booth stepped inside slowly, trying not to make a noise, but immediately noticing the chill on her skin that gave him away. The cold air from outside the shower had penetrated with him, effectively giving away his approach.

Suddenly, he closed the door behind him and pulled her back close to his chest, his arms coming around her waist.

She gasped, surprised by his sudden movements, her hands flying to his arms.

'Hi,' he whispered in her ear. 'Hi,' she answered, leaning her head back onto his shoulder. 'Wanna wash my hair?'

He smiled at her, delighted she would ask him. 'Yeah,' he answered, reaching out to grab shampoo, giving her space to turn in his grasp.

Blue eyes met brown, and everything was clear for her. This was their life. Accept it, Brennan. You're his life, he's yours, the life inside of you is for the two of you together. And somehow, it didn't scare her. It left her feeling complete. So when he smiled, her lips found his to seal her commitment to him without words. And no words were needed, because Booth felt everything in the way her lips met his, how her hands caressed his side and how unashamed she was of the entire situation. This was their life.

When they broke the kiss, she smiled at him, he smiled back and held up the shampoo bottle. She turned, taking a little distance from him, giving him space to apply the shampoo. His hands massaged her scalp, making sure the shampoo was everywhere, and enjoying the feel of her hair through his fingers and her body moving closer and closer to him until finally, he had to let go because she was leaning flush against him. Her eyes were closed, and his arms came around her anew, caressing the underside of her breasts, his own face next to hers on her shoulder. A sigh escaped both their lips, and he had never been so aroused and relaxed at the same time.

She felt his arousal against her backside and she marveled at how perfectly they were like this, her standing in front of him, his groin fitting perfectly in the curve of where her buttocks meet her back. Was she really that small? She had always regarded her and Booth as equals, but now her length revealed a stunning difference she hadn't noticed before, even in their earlier encounters. It turned her on beyond belief, the dominance this man's body had over hers was clear, but the knowledge that he had never used and would never use it against her made her feel special and safe. She rotated her hips backwards, smiling when she heard his sharp intake of breath. 'Damn, Bones,' he whispered, and his hand wandered lower to hold her to him, and even lower to seek out her private parts. She let him in, spreading her legs a little for him, being intimately familiar with the wonders his hands could do.

And as his fingers started caressing her, she knew she wanted this baby more than anything. Suddenly, as one of his fingers entered her, his lips on her shoulders and neck, she knew this was everything she ever wanted. For sure. No regrets, no fear, no insecurities clouded her judgment, only this man working his magic on her body. The intensity of her emotions overwhelmed her and she grabbed his wrist, keeping him to her, giving him guidance she knew he didn't need.

'I want this, Booth,' she confessed in a haze, and he softly bit her shoulder, grinding his hips into her. 'I know,' he whispered. 'I want it too.'

Remembering the shampoo, Booth took the spray and rinsed her hair thoroughly, using his hands to soothe her and help her wash out her hair. He was still impossibly hard and she felt it, and while he washed her hair, she grasped his erection and pumped it slowly.

He moaned and his hips moved involuntary, making her aware of his arousal and causing another rush of liquid heat to pool in her center.

When he was done with her hair, he quickly moved his attention back to her breasts, keeping her back to him. She tried to turn around, but he held her close, making it impossible. 'I want to kiss you,' Brennan protested. 'It's nearly impossible to..'

His hand came to cup her cheek and turn her face towards his, and he kissed her quiet, making her forget and effectively proving she was wrong. It was possible, if you only want it bad enough.

Not breaking the kiss, he used his hands to grab hers and put them across her belly, leaving his hands covering hers. He had to bend his knees to be able to reach her core with his member, but he found the perfect position, and Brennan leant forward, trusting him to hold her upright. And he did, and he thrust home in one movement.

Brennan gasped. Booth moaned. Both of them were still surprised by the feeling that this connection caused in them. Tremors moved from his shoulders to his hips and continued in her, as if they were one, as was their pleasure. He felt her inner muscles flutter and he knew she was close. Needing no encouragement, he started moving, and Brennan bent forward a little more, giving him deeper access. She had never been fond of this position, because it usually made her feel inferior and gave the man a misguided sense of power, but not Booth. Never Booth. She felt wanted, because he kept telling her how beautiful she was, and how good she felt. He was gentle, his hands caressing her stomach, never leaving their place, still covering her own hands and effectively keeping her from falling.

Every thrust elicited a gasp from her, his movements massaging every nerve and adding fuel to her already blazing fire. Booth felt the same, his orgasm approaching fast and hard, his brain still trying to wrap itself around everything that was happening. He kissed her jaw line, her pulse line down her throat and back to her ear. His lips grazed her earlobe and one of her hands came free from his grasp to go to his back, to hold him to her.

'I love you,' he whispered in her ear. 'Bones, I love you. Please let me stay.'

She had never heard his voice so thick, so emotional, so on the verge of tears, so in love. She had no choice but to accept his statement, and she felt she wanted to say the same. But her brain was too clouded with the feelings he was stirring inside of her, that her mouth opened but all she could produce where little moans, a whisper of his name and 'Oh God.'

'It's true, Bones,' he repeated. 'I love you.'

And as her fingers sunk into the skin of his side, her muscles grabbed him deep inside of her and she came, hard, seeing and feeling and hearing only white followed by her own voice calling out to him, her own hand grabbing his, as her body milked him once more, and she felt his member grown impossibly harder before he exploded within her.

'Yeah.. I really…. need to tell Angela,' Brennan managed, as they regained their footing.

'What?' Booth mumbled.

'She'll know something is different the second I walk in,' Brennan said. 'I'm going to be so late.'

He chuckled, the chuckle turned into laughter and he let her turn around, slipping out of her, embracing her, never letting her go again. 'Yeah, you're gonna be late.'


	5. Game Changer

**[****Author's note: I struggled with this one.. Don't know why. Enjoy anyway!] **

Uncharted Lands

5. Game Changer

'Will you meet me for lunch later?' Booth asked her, while she got out of his car. She turned back to him. 'Ok, I have to drop off my files at your office anyway. I'll see you then.'

He nodded. 'Ok.'

One last look at each other, an unspoken promise, a smile and she was gone. He watched her walk towards the hospitals main entrance, and his heart warmed. This is what it would be like. From now on, he was allowed to look at her, allowed to touch her even, allowed to think about her whenever he wanted. She was pregnant and they were a couple.

After their encounter in the shower, Brennan had asked his permission to tell Angela. He had told her she didn't need permission, she could tell anyone she wanted and when she wanted. He understood that telling Angela was important to her, and that she was a bit anxious about Angela's reaction. But he knew she'd be over the moon and he thought it would be good for Brennan to spend some time with the new mom. So he dropped her off and drove to the office, giving her the space she was afraid of losing in a relationship.

Brennan was so grateful for his actions. Just dropping her off, not coming with her, providing her with time and space to think. She knew he understood her, and it calmed her brain a little knowing that he knew her troubles and still chose a life with her.

'Hey,' she said softly as she entered Angela's room. Angela was sitting up, expecting her friend, and she welcomed her with a smile. 'Hey, sweetie, how are you?'

'Great Ange, how are you? And how's the baby?' She looked at the crib beside Angela's bed, where little Michael was sound asleep. 'He looks peaceful.'

'Yeah, he's doing great, we're going home this afternoon. It's all so amazing, Bren.'

Brennan smiled and sat down on a chair next to the bed. 'Where is Hodgins?'

'Oh, he went to prepare the nursery at home, and he's bringing me some clothes. He's living in kind of a bubble. But it's sweet,' Angela said, a smile on her face. Brennan nodded. 'I can imagine.'

'So how are you and Booth?' Angela asked. 'Come on, Bren, you're not being a good friend, not providing me with details on.. anything.'

'We're good,' Brennan said. 'Ange..'

'Yeah?' Angela asked. 'What's up sweetie.. Don't tell me you're backing out. No way, Temperance.'

'No, I'm not,' Brennan answered. 'I'm not backing out.'

'Is he? No, Booth would never do that. He loves you.'

'Yeah,' Brennan said. 'He's not backing out either. We're solid.'

'But?' Angela's eyes were big and focused on her friend, noticing her nerves and fidgeting in the chair. 'What, Bren? Come on.'

'Booth and I.. We're in a relationship, Ange. And I'm going to do everything I can to let us hold. But.. There's a.. Complication.'

'What complication can there possibly be, sweetie? He's gorgeous, sweet, generous, smart, he loves you and you're finally ready to let him in.. It's all good, if you ask me.'

'Well yeah, there's nothing _wrong_ exactly.. It's just.. I'm pregnant, Ange.'

Brennan's eyes held those of her friend, and she witnessed confusion, wonder, realization and excitement all cross Angela's face in a matter of microseconds. 'What?'

'I'm pregnant,' Brennan repeated, her voice stronger and a smile appearing on her face. 'I'm carrying Booth's child.'

Angela's jaw dropped. 'Oh my God! Congrats, Brennan. That's amazing! How did it happen?'

'I'm pretty sure I don't have to tell you that,' Brennan answered, a smile on her face and in her heart.

'Yeah, I know, but I mean.. Oh. Don't tell me you've never been so overwhelmed by feelings that you forgot about protection except for that one night after.. After Vincent.'

'Yeah, that's when it happened. I just.. I didn't even think, Ange. At all. But we used protection every time after. Except for now, of course.'

'Wow, that's a miracle. Just the one time? That's fate, babe.'

'I don't believe in fate,' Brennan said, but somehow even she thought it sounded wrong. She had to believe in fate. It was the only explanation for what had happened. The odds had been against her having conceived that one night, she had calculated her ovarian cycle the day after, and the results had said no way she had been at any risk of getting pregnant. But she was.

'How does Booth feel about this?' Angela asked, still smiling at her best friend, ignoring her fate comment because she too knew better. 'He must be so happy.'

'Yeah, he's pretty excited. And I am, too, Ange. I've wanted a family for quite some time now. And this is the right time. Although I don't think I'm quite ready, I'll be ready by the time I need to be. It's overwhelming but I'm so happy at the same time.'

'You deserve to be happy, sweetie,' Angela said, her hand reaching for Brennan's. She took it, and tears came to her eyes. 'There where times I thought I'd never get a chance at any of this,' she confessed, and tears clouded Angela's eyes as well.

'And then Booth and I told you you would be happy,' she smiled. 'And he knew it would be with him. And so did I, really.'

'It was never going to be anyone else,' Brennan confessed to herself and to Angela. 'I've known for a long time my life wouldn't be the same without Booth. Do you think two people can be made for each other?'

Angela smiled broadly. 'I can't believe you're asking me that. But yeah, I do. And you're two of those people. You're the sum of the parts, Bren. The two of you make a whole. And it's amazing that you've finally found each other. Don't let it go.'

'I won't,' Brennan promised. 'I.. I think I love him.'

This time, a tear fell from Angela's eyes. 'You're amazing, Temperance.'

They sat together for a while, laughing and talking about everything that was happening. Brennan revealed a few bedroom secrets about Booth, but not too much, and Angela was amazed at how open and relaxed Brennan seemed. Sure, she was scared of everything, and it was all very new, but she had confidence in herself and in Booth, and in the two of them together, that this would work out. And because of that, it would.

In Angela's opinion, Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan had been in love for a long time. She had seen it, but the two of them had been oblivious to it. Small things had happened which had revealed bits of that love, but every time they had blamed it on the partnership. Angela had known better.

She had been a little scared when Hannah had been in the picture. But deep down, she had known it wouldn't work out. His whole heart wasn't in it.

A piece of his heart had been where it belonged, right next to hers.

Ever since that night in front of the Hoover building, Brennan had carried a precious part of Booth's heart inside of her. After that night, Brennan had come to Angela to talk to her about everything. Angela hadn't scolded her for rejecting Booth. She had just helped her friend understand what had happened, and how to move on, even if it hurt. But she understood that that hadn't been the time. She wasn't ready. But the woman in front of her right now, talking about Booth with a twinkle in her eye, she was ready. Ready to be taken away on the wings that were his love, and to be carried around on them for as long as she would have him.

Because even a long time ago, Brennan had known she had to open up. For herself, but also for Booth. Because by closing herself off for the experience that was a relationship, she missed so much. But she wasn't the only one. She had kept so much from Booth as well. Only difference had been that Booth had already seen a glimpse of what could be his, and therefore it had been even harder on him.

Angela tried to explain to her best friend that she had to say those three words, but only if she really meant them.

'I mean them, Angela. And I want to say them. But I'm afraid it will betray me in the end,' she confessed.

'Booth will never betray you, sweetie,' Angela answered.

'But it's not Booth I'm worried about. He has faith in himself that he will feel the same about me in fifty years, Angela. How can I tell him I love him if I don't even believe in that kind of forever?'

Angela sighed and took both Brennan's hands. 'You believe in it. When you're with him, you believe in that kind of forever. You'll see.'

And with that, they kissed goodbye and Brennan left the young mother and her child. As she walked out, she pondered Angela's words. She knew she was right. Every time his eyes met hers, she believed in eternal love. But that was the catch. She couldn't trust those feelings because they were brought on by hormones. Especially now that she was pregnant.

As she took a left into the bathroom and leant against the cold tiles to try and calm her upcoming nausea, she realized something. She had always believed in science. And this time it was science that made this real for her. It didn't matter that her feelings were brought on by hormones. The simple fact that they were there were evidence. And all she ever really needed was evidence.

Her nausea disappeared and she left the hospital, a strange sense of calmness surrounding her.

She was in love.

Booth's attention was caught by the sound of the elevator stopping on his level. He looked up over his documents to see who it was, out of habit.

And his heart skipped a beat.

The sight of her alone was enough to do that, but the air of confidence and ease that surrounded her, almost a glow, made her even more magnetic. He stood, walked towards her and in the middle of his office, opened his arms for her. She hesitated for a moment, meeting his eyes, and there she saw what she needed to see: He didn't care. Bureau or no bureau, regulations or no regulations. No one who worked here was stupid, they all knew their crime solving duo was made for each other.

They didn't disappoint. No one looked even slightly surprised when she took his invitation and melted into his embrace, her head close to his heart, his lips in her hair, placing a kiss to her temple. 'Hey,' he whispered, and let her go, following her into his office. 'Hey,' she responded. 'I told Angela.'

'Great, how did she react?'

'Like you said. She was very happy for me.'

'For us, Bones. For us.'

'Yes, for us,' Brennan corrected herself. 'I'm sorry, I'm not used to regular usage of that term.'

'I know. It's fine.' The selfish part in him hurt when she said 'me' instead of 'us', but really, he knew she didn't mean for it to hurt him. She really just didn't know 'us'. Not yet, anyway.

They decided to tell Sweets as well, just because he had a right to know, having been their counselor and a good friend, and also because he was ultimately the one who would be consulting the head of the FBI if it ever came into question whether they should keep working together.

'I wanna tell him, Bones, if that's ok with you?' Booth asked. Brennan frowned. 'Why, I would assume that you'd want us to do it together. Seeing that we are having a child together.'

'You told Angela, let me tell Sweets,' he asked, and she understood how important it was to him. 'Ok. But let's get some work done first, ok?'

He nodded, took the files she had brought and they started their work, like a normal day. Like nothing had happened. And it reassured Brennan, the way he just switched and went to work. They would be just fine.

Booth carefully watched his partner with all his senses, seeing her smile when he started putting their results together and noticing her lingering looks every once in a while, and they encouraged him. He understood he had to prove to her that they would work just fine as a couple, that their personal relationship would only enhance their work and their results. And this was the way to do it. Although he wanted to sit right beside her, he wanted his hand on her belly, or around her shoulder, he shouldn't and he wouldn't. There would be plenty of time for that within the safe walls of their homes. Right now, there was work to be done.

After an hour of hard work, Brennan excused herself and went to the bathroom. The nausea was gone before she got there, but she found herself overly emotional as she looked at her reflection.

She, Temperance Brennan, felt like she was the most lucky woman on this planet right now. And she knew that she wasn't, of course, but for once the feeling was enough to accept it. Booth had accepted her, he loved her, he was more than willing to do this with her. He wanted this as badly as she wanted it.

She had been apprehensive about showing their relationship in the middle of the building, but she knew that Andrew Hacker understood the relationship between her and Booth better than many people. And he would have a large hand in whatever decision the Bureau would make on their relationship, so ultimately, that would work out. And basically, she was just over denying everything to herself and to everyone else.

'I love you,' she whispered to her reflection as a test run. 'Booth.. I love you.'


	6. Three Tiny Words

**[Author's note: A big thanks again to everyone who reads and reviews this, I love your kind words and appreciate any advice! I write for fun but it's good to know it's being read and loved.**

**Oh plus, let's assume they had lunch while they were working. I forgot to write that in, so sorry.]**

Uncharted Lands

6. Three Tiny Words.

'_I love you,' she whispered to her reflection as a test run. 'Booth.. I love you.'_

A few minutes later Brennan re-appeared in his office.

'Hey, you ok?' Booth asked. 'Baby bothering you already?'

She shook her head. 'I believe it's too early for that. Although it's a possibility.. I'm just still adjusting, Booth. I'm a little on edge.'

'Yeah, I understand. You know what? You go home. I'll finish up here, meet you later? We're almost done anyway.'

She shook her head. 'No, I'm fine. I'll help you, then I'll go home and call my dad while you tell Sweets, ok?'

'You wanna tell Max already?'

She nodded. 'I know it's early and it doesn't really.. Feel quite real, just yet, but yeah, I'd like him to know that there is a good possibility that he's going to be a grandfather,' Brennan said. 'Plus, he'll want to know about our relationship.'

'Really?' Booth frowned. 'Ok.'

'Yes, he always thought we would be together after I got back from Maluku. But anyway, he'll want to know.'

'Yeah,' Booth said softly. 'I'm glad it worked out this way.'

Brennan regarded him for a few seconds before answering. 'Although there are some things I would have liked to go differently, all things considering, I agree. I'm glad it worked out this way too.'

He smiled at her, knowing she didn't mean to be insulting. He knew she had hurt. And that she had been unsure about a lot of things, and so had he. But now, they had crossed the final line and it had immediately thrown them a curve ball, he was so glad. And sure. And in love.

A while later they had finished, in record time, but both of them were happy with the work they had done and Brennan was satisfied that the evidence was conclusive, especially with their combined efforts to make it look even better.

So they dropped the file off together before parting ways, Booth going up to talk to Sweets and Brennan going home.

As he walked her to the car, his car, she felt she was apprehensive of leaving him behind. She needed this man at her side, especially now. When she was around him, she just felt better. There was no explanation and she didn't need any, not now, not anymore. Not really.

'I'll see you in a while, ok? I'll take a cab, but don't leave the door unlocked,' he warned her, and she loved him even a little more for understanding she was going to her home and not his, where they had spent a lot more time.

'I'll lock the door, you have your key?' she asked. He nodded. 'Yeah, got it. Do you want me to call you when I'm done here?'

She shrugged. 'If you want to. I find I'm curious to hear what Sweets has to say.'

'Ok, I'll call. Make sure you're not in the bathtub, like last time,' he winked. She smiled, thinking back to when he had called her to say he was on his way with take-out and she had been in the bathtub as he came in, effectively leaving their dinner to get cold and not be thought of until at least an hour later.

'I won't,' she said. 'I'll work on my next book, it's coming along quite nicely.'

'Or you can just take a nap, if you want to,' he suggested, his concerned tone warming Brennan's heart but annoying her at the same time. 'Look, Booth. I really appreciate you trying to look out for me but it's not necessary. I'm not tired.'

'Ok,' he said, 'See you later then.'

She nodded and smiled, they exchanged a look that said more than a thousand words and she disappeared in the car, as he walked back towards the building.

He looked back over his shoulder to find her looking at him as she pulled out of the parking onto the street, and he raised his hand just to let her know he saw her. She did the same, focusing on the street and driving away, around the corner, out of his sight.

He walked back into the building and took the elevator up to Sweet's floor.

As expected, the psychologist was in his office, and after a short knock, Booth entered. 'Hey Sweets, can I talk to you for a second?'

Sweets put down his notebook and nodded, gesturing for the couch. 'Sure, agent Booth, come in.'

Booth nodded gratefully but didn't take a seat. Instead, he paced towards the window and back a bit.

'Something bothering you?' Sweets asked, regarding his friend and colleague with a sharp eye.

'Not really, I just need your opinion.. No, you know what? I don't. I just need to tell you something.'

'Ok,' Sweets said. 'Maybe if you could just sit down..'

Booth looked at him, back to the window and nodded, moving to sit on the couch. 'Yeah, that's a good idea. Listen, Sweets. I don't want your advice, ok? I just want to tell you this, give you a heads up, I mean people downstairs probably know something's going on by now, they just saw us.. Never mind.'

Sweets interrupted him. 'I think you do want my advice. But let's start by you telling me what the people downstairs saw. Who they saw.'

'Me and Bones, of course,' Booth answered, his tone annoyed. 'We're.. We're kind of..'

Sweets just looked at him, eyes big, pleading for Booth to continue.

'Let's just say.. The dam broke.' Booth finally compromised. 'We gambled and we won.'

'Wow,' Sweets said. 'That's.. Congratulations.'

Booth frowned. 'That's all you're gonna say? Congratulations? Really?'

'Well no, I'm going to say that I'm very happy for you, that I think it's way overdue and that I think this is a great opportunity for us to resume couples therapy.'

'Ok, right. But Sweets, that's not.. That's not all,' Booth said, his face serious. Sweets' face grew serious too. 'Oh, what else is there? Is dr. Brennan having doubts, second thoughts?'

'Second, third fourth.. Sure, but that's not the issue. We kinda.. Overdid.. it, you see, the night after Vincent got shot.'

'You overdid what?' Sweets asked, not really following.

Booth gave him a look.

Then, Sweets understood.

'Oh, dude! She's pregnant? Wow, this will totally screw with both your comfort zones..'

'Can you just keep your voice down?' Booth asked, slightly annoyed but quietly amused at the shrink's enthusiasm.

'That's great, man. Congratulations! Again. This is awesome,' Sweets said, standing and pulling Booth into a hug.

A real guy hug.

'Thanks, yeah, it's great.. But I really need you to convince whoever asks that we're fine, you know, at work. We're solid.'

'Yeah, sure, no problem,' Sweets assured him. 'This is fantastic. Are you going to propose to her?'

'Wow!' Booth said. 'No, I'm not going to propose to her. What the hell do you think I want to do, have her run off immediately? She doesn't believe in marriage, she thinks it's archaic nonsense, or whatever she calls it. No, man.'

'I think you should,' Sweets said seriously. 'Or at least tell her you want to.'

'Yeah, she knows,' Booth answered. 'But she's not.. She's not ready. And I respect that. And even if she never wants to marry me, that's fine, as long as she knows I'm not going anywhere.'

'I'm sure dr. Brennan knows that,' Sweets assured him.

After having Sweets swear to keep it a secret from everyone for now, Booth left his office, feeling relieved and confused at the same time. Propose to Bones? Hell yes he wanted to. He had rehearsed it at least a hundred times in his head, but he was too scared. She would definitely say no and it would hurt them. So for now, she was enough. Being together was enough. Just as long as she knew.

He had told her immediately after their first night that all he wanted was to spend the rest of his life with her, so she knew that. She just didn't know enough or feel enough about emotions and love to completely trust herself to say the same. But he would wait for that moment to come, and he would know it if it was there. For now, he would just spoil her, love her and cherish her in every way he thought possible with Bones.

He called her to tell her he'd be home soon and to say that everything went ok with Sweets. He didn't tell her any details and she didn't ask.

He considered buying her a present on his way to her apartment, but he decided against it. She wouldn't like the implications. Flowers would also be too much, so he decided he would just have to be the gift and got in a cab towards her place.

Back home, Brennan had picked up the phone five times and put it back down five times. She couldn't do it. She couldn't call Max to tell him what was going on, she just couldn't.

She wasn't scared, she just felt it was still too new and fragile to expose it to her father. Angela had been easier, she would support and help her no matter what happened. But if her pregnancy would turn out not to be real, if her tests had all been false-positive, Angela would not be disappointed or wouldn't question either of them. She had a feeling her dad would be different.

Or really, she didn't want to let him down.

She realized she hadn't even thought about Booth's reaction if this would prove to be a dream. But she knew he would be sad but nothing would break. They would have more time and they could try again, and then it would be their choice. He wouldn't leave her. And she wouldn't leave him.

Suddenly her mind froze. Did he know that?

Did he know that she wouldn't leave him, not just like that, not ever? Probably not, and suddenly her test runs in front of the FBI-mirrors seemed terribly important. She had to tell him. He needed to know. And it needed to come from her heart, she needed to say it in a clear, peaceful moment, not in a post-coital haze or while inebriated by liquor.

And she needed to let him know fast.

Then, she heard his voice and his key in the lock. 'Bones, you there?'

'Yes, I'm here,' she answered from her place at the table.

He appeared in the doorway and she got up, approaching him. He closed and locked the door behind him and looked at her, simply watched her approach him. Her eyes were directed at his chest and suddenly he saw a sadness in her eyes.

She walked straight into his arms, her arms coming around his back to his shoulders.

'What's wrong?' he whispered, his hands stroking her back. 'Did something happen?'

She didn't answer and suddenly he heard and felt her sob.

'Bones, please talk to me.. Are you ok? Did something happen.. Is it the baby?'

'No,' she sobbed, 'everything's fine. I just..' Her emotions got the best of her and she buried her face in his shirt before putting some distance between them and walking to the table. 'I'm sorry.'

'No, it's fine, just tell me what's the matter,' Booth said, his hand on her back until she sat down, and he took the chair next to her.

'I.. I couldn't call Max, Booth. I just couldn't.' She looked at him, her clear blue eyes still awash with tears.

'That's ok, you can tell him later, there's no hurry,' he tried to reassure her.

'But what if it's all fake, Booth? What if it's just some illusion, and the tests were false-positive? It can happen, you know. It was very unlikely for me to get pregnant, so maybe it's just hormones?'

He took her hand.

'Hey. How many tests did you take?' He knew she'd taken more than one, he knew her.

'Four, just to make sure,' she answered, her face warning him not to laugh at her.

'Then I suggest you believe the outcome. It's scientifically impossible for all four to be wrong, right?'

'Improbable, yes,' Bones answered. 'One test could misread, but four tests with the same outcome.. That's pretty conclusive.'

'Then I suggest you stop worrying. And you don't have to tell Max. Not yet anyway. We'll work up to that one, ok?'

She nodded. 'Yeah. You're right.'

She looked tired, he noticed, and he remembered her comment about him not having to tell her when she was tired. But he saw it in her eyes. So since going against her wasn't really something new, he addressed the issue.

'You look dead tired, Bones.. Maybe you wanna lay down for a bit? No one's expecting us back at work, and it's still a little early for dinner..'

She shook her head. 'I'm not that tired. You know what though, a bath sounds good.'

'Great,' he smiled. 'Can I join you?'

'Certainly,' she smiled at him. 'But I do intend to relax, Booth.'

He nodded. 'I can massage your back if you want.'

'I didn't know you could do that?' she said, slightly surprised but already looking forward to his strong hands softly working her muscles.

'Well, my knowledge of the muscles may not be as good as yours, but I can work some magic, you'll see,' he teased, and suddenly she needed him to show her.

Ten minutes later they were in the bathroom, she was running the bath and Booth was undressing himself behind her. She felt hot and the knowledge of a naked Booth just behind her made her insides tingle. She curved her back just a little more than usual as she bent over to increase the flow, and immediately his hands were on her back, stroking up and down before coming to rest on her hips. 'I thought you wanted to relax,' he whispered into her ear. 'I'm telling you, this is not the way.'

She smiled and stood up, turning towards him, her eyes challenging him to kiss her but she pulled away when he leaned in. He didn't take no for an answer and his hand came to the back of her head, softly but insistently holding her to him as his lips covered hers and his tongue came out to trace them.

She melted into his arms, loving every move he made, every decision being the right one, every touch placed just right.

His hands came up to unbutton her blouse and soon, she was naked as well.

She broke from his lips, turning and getting in the bath, sitting down in the warm water before gesturing him to follow. 'Come in,' she said, and the softness and tenderness in her voice startled even herself. He smiled and followed her, splashing water in her face as he got in. 'Move, I want to sit behind you,' he said, and she obeyed, rubbing the water from her eyes. 'You'll pay for that.'

'I'm sure,' he chuckled, finding a comfortable position with her between his open legs, her back against his, his back against the wall of the bathtub.

'You knew this would happen when you bought this thing, didn't you,' he joked.

'I enjoy a spacious bathtub,' she answered seriously. He kissed her shoulder. 'I enjoy it too.'

Even though they were both naked, the air between them was electric but not sexual electric. It was sweet, tender and softly electric, and Brennan found she had probably never been more at ease as she was now. Her brain wasn't working overtime, her heart was in neutral. Everything was as it should be, and still, something was very clear in her head.

She loved this man. Temperance Brennan loved Seeley Booth.

With every fiber of her being, and she had done so for as long as she could remember him in her life. And the fact that she wasn't being overwhelmed by emotions, but this was still so clear to her, made it real. It provided the evidence she needed to see this through.

So softly, she leaned her head back onto his shoulder. His arms tightened their hold around her a little and his thumb stroked the place where their little child was growing. She closed her eyes, put her hands on his to find some courage and whispered the words that had been so cursed for such a long time.

'Booth.. I love you.'

The silence that followed froze her heart and her brain. Had she said something wrong?

But then, she felt a tremble behind her. His arms loosened and his hands grasped hers, softly squeezing them.

'Really?' he whispered back, and his voice wavered. She opened her eyes, she wanted to look at him. Needed to see his eyes, needed him to see hers. Because she knew the truth was written there.

She had always said she didn't believe in that. But of course she did. She had seen it in his eyes, those three tiny words, almost every day for a very long time. And she needed to see them now. So she turned in his arms, her hands coming to his chest.

When she met his eyes, their worlds just fell into place. A sigh and a smile from both of them caused their lives to go from two separate lives to a single life shared. 'Yeah, really,' she said to him, her eyes piercing into his. 'I love you.'

The happiness on his face was almost too much for her to see, so she kissed him, and kissed him, and kissed him again to prove how much she meant it all.

'Oh God, thank you,' Booth whispered as they finally broke apart. 'I love you, Bones.'

Ever since they had met for the first time, Booth had known. He had opened that door and he had known. And yes, he had been handsome, and yes, she had been beautiful, and that had been all they saw at first. But working together, for so long, getting to know each other on so many more levels, saving each other's lives, seeing each other's goodness and kindness and everything else had just made the feeling stronger and stronger every day. Until today, when everything just fell into place. Their search was complete.

**[Author's note: I have to tell you, I love writing this. I love it. Absolutely adore it. Next chapter will have another important moment, but maybe a bit of a sad one. Don't worry, I love these two and I would never harm them.]**


	7. Two Words and Another

Uncharted Lands

7. Two words and Another

"_Whirling in an arc of sadness, I'm lost without you."_

'You are incredible, you know that?' Booth whispered in her ear as she turned around in his arms again, laying her head on his shoulder again.

She just nodded, smiling at herself and at the situation. It hadn't been as difficult as she thought it would be, nor as scary. It had just happened and everything had gone great, the world still existed, he was still right next to her.

'You know that I won't leave you, right?' she asked after a while. Because even though she confessed her love, he had to know this as well.

'Of course, Bones,' he answered.

'Good, because I want you to be sure of that,' she said. 'Unless you break up with me, I'm not going away.'

He kissed her shoulder again, softly grazing her skin with his teeth. 'I don't want you to.'

'Good, then we're in agreement,' she said and with that, it was settled.

About thirty minutes later they were forced to leave the comfort of their position because the water got cold.

Brennan got out first, handing a towel to Booth. They stood together, drying themselves, not ashamed or inhibited but both not able to keep their eyes on their own bodies.

'I still owe you a massage,' Booth said. 'If you want, now's a good as time as any?'

It was tempting and Temperance knew she could really use some more relaxation, but she wasn't sure relaxation was all this would cause. And she didn't need another late dinner because of their inability to keep their physical declarations of love in check.

But right now, relaxation won.

'Yeah, sounds like a plan,' she said. 'You want me to sit somewhere?'

He gestured towards her bedroom. 'Just lay down on the bed? On your stomach?'

She nodded and stole a touch of her hand to his side before leaving him standing in the bathroom.

She just put on a pair of panties and jogging shorts which she often used as pajamas, took a bra and shirt out but left them off and lay down on the bed, giving Booth access to her entire bare back and shoulders. She used one of her pillows under her head, her arms to her sides, making sure he wouldn't immediately get sidetracked by the sight of her breasts.

He came into the room, wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, and he smiled at her. 'You know where this is gonna end if you lay down on your bed half naked, right?'

She didn't move, just cast a glance upwards at him and smiled. 'I was hoping to get a relaxing massage, but if that's too much to ask..'

He knew she was teasing him, and he would show her some control in return. He still had a lot of trouble controlling himself when it came to her body but he was getting slightly better at it, at least at hiding it. And he would show her.

'No, massage is fine,' he answered, getting on the bed on his knees. 'Just relax.'

She closed her eyes as soon as she felt is warm hands on her shoulders.

He made sure her hair was all to the side before he started his assault. He was actually quite good at this, and it pleased him that she didn't know. She would be surprised and that was always a good thing.

His hands skimmed her back at first, feeling its shape and making sure his hands weren't too cold. She relaxed into his touch immediately, and he smiled.

Then he started softly pressing down, feeling along her back where she was tense and where he needed to be more careful. He felt tense knots in her shoulders and he tried his best to slowly work them out. He loved how her skin felt under his fingers, soft and warm, and when she let out a whimper he pressed a kiss to her shoulder blade.

She felt his hands examine her back, find the tense parts immediately and start working them out. She loved how he was very careful, his strength and power reigned in to care for her wellbeing. She closed her eyes and soon she felt herself slowly drift away.

He ran his hands along either side of her spine, pressing her down softly, causing the air to leave her lungs. She gasped, the feeling unknown but welcome, and he did it again before leaving to work her shoulders again.

After a while, he leaned in to look at her, and he found her eyes closed in sleep. When she noticed his hands had stopped, she woke, opening her eyes and giving him a drowsy look. 'Sorry, did I fall asleep?'

'Don't worry, it's a compliment,' he whispered back and continued his caring of her back. 'Feel good?'

She nodded. 'Great, I haven't had a good massage in years.'

'Glad I could help. Close your eyes,' he said, making sure she wasn't feeling guilty about falling sleep on him. He loved it. It was the purest form of surrender and trust he could think of.

She closed her eyes again and he continued, and within minutes she was gone again. He kneaded and stroked her back for a while longer, until he was certain she was asleep. Slowly, his touch became softer and softer until he was sitting next to her and she was still sound asleep. He didn't want to wake her so he left her on the bed, covering her bare skin with her blanket before exiting the bedroom to order Thai.

A little while later, Brennan awoke to the sound of her front door unlocking and Booth's hushed voice accepting a delivery. She smiled to herself, he had put her to sleep again, and this time she hadn't woken to his hands leaving her body. And he, naturally, had done his task of caring for her in every way he could: He had ordered them dinner. Thai, by the smell of it.

She took a moment to fully wake up, the unknown feeling in her stomach needing time to be identified. After a few minutes, she realized this is what it felt like to be completely at ease. Taken care of. No need for her to run off and take care of herself, there was someone else doing that for her now. And it felt good.

She put on a dark blue t-shirt and a pair of socks and walked into the living room. As she entered, Booth turned towards her. 'Hey, you awake?' he greeted her.

'Yes, I heard you take the delivery,' she answered.

'I'm sorry I woke you,' he said, walking to her kitchen block to get plates and her own chopsticks.

'No, it's fine, I'm quite hungry,' she said. 'Thanks for ordering.'

'I figured you might be hungry,' he said while he turned around.

He found her standing in front of him, just a few feet away.

And suddenly, just like that, it hit him with the force of an asteroid how lucky he really was. How much she had sacrificed to let him in. And how new this still was to her. But even though she had no idea what would come next, or how this would work out, she was there. And she was letting him help her.

He closed the distance, putting the plates on her kitchen counter, and pulled her close to him. His arms came around her shoulders, like they had so many times before.

When he had saved her from her other self, in the very beginning of all of this. Then again, when he had saved her from a murderous boyfriend. That had been when he had told her she wasn't alone. Saved her from the Gravedigger at her trial, when Bones had admitted her nightmares to him. Her weaknesses. Saved her, countless more times, just as much as she had saved him. Every time.

She let him pull her close, it being exactly what she had wanted and needed. She felt his heart pound under her cheek, her eyes closed and countless fears entered her mind and left it again.

She didn't have to worry. She was safe.

'Marry me,' he said out of the blue. He had no idea where it came from and why he said it, but it was right. It was the only thing he could think of to say to her. The only way to make her understand his commitment, his love and his total and complete surrender to her mind, body and soul.

'Marry me.'

Brennan disentangled herself from him and looked up at him. 'Booth…'

No, this wasn't happening.

Why was he asking her? He had promised not to. This was too soon, too close, too much.

She willed herself to stay calm, but he had already spotted the look in her eyes: The one she had given him when he first confessed his love to her. Then, it had forced him to add 'in an atta-girl kind of way.' Then he had seen it again when he had asked for one chance, just one shot at a relationship. Again, his heart had been broken. Not just broken, destroyed.

And now he saw it again and his heart cracked and crumbled. It wept, cried and shouted at her not to do this. Not to reject him.

'No,' she whispered. 'No. I can't.'

Booth's face darkened. His mouth opened and closed again, and he couldn't look at her while her eyes were pleading for him to just look in her eyes. Because there he would see her real answer.

'Ok,' he started. 'I'm sorry.'

'You said you'd give me time. You promised not to pressure me,' she said, her eyes filling with tears and her trembling hand reaching out to him.

He didn't take it.

'I know, I'm sorry, Bones..' He didn't know what else to say.

Luckily, she did.

'Not now, ok? But can I ask you.. To maybe.. Ask me again, some day? Because I do want it, Booth. I just.. Can't, right now.'

Finally, he met her eyes and he saw his pain mirrored in her eyes. She felt the same. Her mind betrayed her body once more. And now he saw that it felt, it hurt the same for her as it did for him.

So he nodded. He couldn't do anything else. 'I won't forget,' he warned her. 'I'll ask you again.'

'I hope you will, and I hope I'll be ready then,' she said softly, and a tear dropped on her cheek.

His own trembling hand came up to cup her cheek and brush the tear away.

'I do love you,' she said, her voice trembling as much as her body. 'That has nothing to do with it.'

'I know,' he answered. 'I know. I love you too. Don't ever doubt that.'

'Don't break up with me,' she pleaded, hating the woman she was right now.

His other hand came up to go around her shoulders and press her close to him.

'Of course not,' he whispered in her hair. 'I'm sorry I asked you. I shouldn't have. I will never break up with you.'

She nodded into his chest, the place where she had found herself more and more these past few days. It seemed it was the only place where she could think straight.

'It's ok, I'm sorry,' he repeated.

'No, don't be sorry,' she answered. 'Thank you for asking. It made it more real.'

'It's real, baby,' he said, and she smiled into his chest. 'I know. Don't be mad at me.'

'I'm not. We're together and that's all that matters now. As long as you know, I'm not giving up.'

She leaned back to look into his eyes. 'Don't. Don't give up.'

With that, she sat down on the couch, inviting him with her hands. He sat down behind her with their food. She sat with her back to his chest, like they had been sitting in the bathtub. His legs on either side of her, she felt safer than ever and it made her vulnerable, and he saw her shoulders shudder with her fear, sadness and pain.

He just stayed with her, acknowledging their mutual heartache, giving her a place to let it all out, protecting her. Because no matter what she thought she wanted, he knew what she wanted. She just wanted to be loved.

Because even though we are all different, our basic components are the same. We all share a similar bone structure. Similar flesh, blood and muscles. Similar organs.

Similar basic needs.

Food, air, water. A roof. Company. And finally, but most importantly, we all need someone to stand by our side. And someone whose side we can stand by. Because for everyone there's someone, someone who is your other two legs, two arms and head. She had taught him about Plato, and that's the myth he remembered as he felt her limbs find his, entangle themselves and create one single being out of two bodies. They were the lucky ones. They had found each other.

And even though it was incredibly important to him, he realized she was right. In the end, all it was was a piece of paper and a ring. And he'd have that. Just not now.

Not yet.

**[Author's note: Sorry if you feel it's too early. I'm just making options for myself, so I can write without having to deal with the technicalities of pregnancy. Because that I am **_**not**_** looking forward to.]**


	8. A Small Sacrifice

Uncharted Lands

8.A Small Sacrifice

'_Sometimes you have to be your own hero,_

_Because sometimes the people you can't live without_

_Can't live without you.'_

Together, they ate all the food he had ordered. A lot. She stole his last vegetables, like always, and like always, he let her because he stole her shrimp. They didn't speak much, both of them too lost in their own thoughts.

Brennan's mind was trying to make out why he had proposed to her just now. She knew he loved her, and she believed it, but why propose so fast? Was it because she was pregnant? She knew he had proposed to Rebecca, doing the right thing, wanting to marry the mother of his child and the woman he loved. But why had he tried the same with her? He knew she would say no. He had to have known. He knew her well enough to know she couldn't. But then, why try?

Booth was waging another battle. Two voices in his mind were both trying to convince him of different things.

One voice said: She'll never marry you. She's not the marrying kind. They all weren't. You'll never have her in that way.

Another voice, a slightly louder one, was screaming at him not to listen. She does want to marry you. She just can't. She doesn't understand the meaning of it, the magnitude of it scares her, but she wants to. Give it time.

No, the other voice said. You heart has been through enough. Don't try again. Don't let it get hurt once more. You'll never recover.

And he knew the voice was right. If he asked again, and she said no again, he would never get over the pain.

He had started wearing his cocky belt buckle again, after their first night together, when he realized this time, it was for real. Because she was his, and he felt confident it would stay that way. Because he believed her feelings and her words to him were real.

But her rejection caused him to worry. He knew, somewhere deep down, that he shouldn't. That he should know better than to question her words, because she wouldn't lie to him. Ever.

Still, there was a tinge in his gut. One that scared him. One that asked him a very important question:

What if she only thinks she loves you. What if it's really her pregnancy hormones and in the end, she'll realize she was wrong?

He knew they had a lot to talk about. But he wouldn't bring up his own questions. He knew questioning her feelings for him now would be the most crucial mistake of all. She was the one new to all of this. She needed his guidance. And she needed his trust, his confidence in her. And she would have it.

So the pushed the voices away, both of them. Banned them to a far corner of his mind, keeping them locked down for now.

He put down his plate and the empty boxes, and she handed him hers.

'I really needed that,' she said, her voice soft with emotion. He knew she was fighting as well, with her own personal demons.

Suddenly, a question popped into his mind. He let her turn half onto her side and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. They were almost lying down, he with his back to the armrest of the couch, she lying on his chest. It was a comfortable, close position and he questioned whether this was the right moment to ask her, but he had to.

'Bones,' he whispered. 'Yeah?' she answered.

'When was the first time, you know, when you realized it?'

'When I realized what?' she asked, her voice still soft.

'When you first realized that it was love?' he answered, his voice as soft as hers, as full of emotion as hers.

She went silent for a while, her mind going over everything she had felt and everything she had experienced these past years.

Was it when he asked her to give it a shot?

Was it when he had been there after Sully left?

No, it was much, much earlier than that, she suddenly realized. And that realization hit her like ice cold water.

She had loved him ever since he had confessed his gambling problem to her. When he had told her: This is going somewhere.

That was when she had known. They would meet again. They had to. Because this man was hers.

'Bones?' his voice was unsteady and questioning, scared, and she realized he was still waiting for her answer.

'Right from the beginning,' she answered. 'That's why I wouldn't let you get in the cab. That's when I knew.'

His heart froze and his brain went empty. Who said fire and ice can't coexist? She was living proof of the opposite. She knew, right from the beginning? Like him? How was that possible?

Then, his heartbeat returned and his brain worked again. 'Really?'

She nodded into his chest. 'Yes, you were the first man ever to scare me. You were quite intense, Booth.'

'I scared you and that's why you love me?' he asked again, his brain taking time to catch up.

'You got to me. You made me furious, but I accepted much more from you than I did from anybody else. I liked being around you. Your presence comforted me and it challenged me a the same time. My heartbeat increased when you touched

me at first, but later it also increased when I heard your voice or felt your presence. It took me a while to realize but generally, those are signs of love, right?'

'When did you realize?' he asked, not answering her question. 'When did you realize it was so long ago?'

'Just now,' she answered. 'I never really thought about it.'

'Thanks, Bones,' he answered, and he didn't really know why. She smiled and moved away from him to sit next to him on the couch, the whole situation making her less than comfortable.

'Something wrong?' he asked when she seemed to avoid his eyes. She shook her head. 'No.'

'You wanna go to bed already?' he asked, trying to get her to talk at least a little.

She nodded. 'Yes, I'm quite tired. I think it would be a good idea if I at least lay down, you know, try to rest.'

He nodded. 'I'll join you. If that's ok. I'm tired myself.'

Her expression softened but she still couldn't meet his eyes. 'Of course it's ok, Booth.'

'Good. You go ahead, I'll join you when I cleaned this up,' he said, standing from the couch.

Deep inside she wanted to help him put everything away. But she also needed the distance. And she sensed he needed it, too. Some way to distract him from her without leaving, just for a few minutes, giving them both some room to clear their heads.

So they went their separate ways, she making her way to the other side of her apartment, to her bedroom, as he collected their plates, the boxes and wrappings and started cleaning up.

As she stood in her doorframe, she turned to look at him.

He seemed to be occupied with the boxes, trying to stack them so they would fit together, but because they were all exactly the same size, she knew he would never succeed.

But he wouldn't give up, and that simple effort gave her hope.

She knew he wouldn't give up on her. She may have hurt his already battered heart, but it was still the heart of a fighter. And it always would be. It would always fight for her, fight its way back to her, and even if she wasn't ready to give herself to him, she would try. Because he was trying as well.

Trying to accept their new relationship, this baby coming. Of course they both wanted it, had wanted it for a long time, but that didn't make it easy. It was unexpected and it came at a time in which they were both still hurting very much. They were only granted limited time together, limited time to work out their problems and find a way to make this work. And even though there was no doubt in her mind that they would make it work, she knew it would take some time. And some effort. And probably tears.

She quickly changed out of her pants and removed her bra from under the shirt, not sure what Booth would expect, so she went for the middle way.

As soon as she was under the covers, she focused on the sound of Booth in her kitchen. She had never heard someone else move around in there while she was in bed, and it was new to her, but at the same time it was the best thing ever. It meant she was sharing her life and that was something she had wanted to experience ever since she had met her current friends, co-workers and family that she was surrounded by every day.

They had shown her the beauty of love, of giving yourself to someone else, losing yourself and trusting that someone else to catch you. And even though a part of her, the rational part, had always pushed it away, her other part, the woman, had envied them. Very much.

Booth cleaned up everything, put on her dishwasher and, content with his work, went to lay down with the woman waiting for him. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep yet, but he needed to be close to her, try to understand and accept her, her words to him and her motives. His heart could take so much more from her than it could from someone else, and he was glad. Because even though he knew her, and he had known her answer before the question, he had been hurt again.

He entered the bedroom and found her looking at him, a tiny smile appearing on her lips, trying to gauge his mood. He smiled back, trying to reassure her, telling her he would always stand by her side, no matter what.

I'm with Bones, all the way. Don't doubt it for a second, that's what he had told Cam all these years ago. Even though she had been the one he was closer to at the time, he would have chosen Brennan over her. And back then, he hadn't really understood his own reasons. Except for that he knew they were true. But now, how that he got a chance to really spend time with her, see her even more vulnerable than ever, he realized exactly how true his statement had been. His path was her path.

He got in on the left side of the bed, beside her, not undressing, not sure what she would expect. She stayed still, on her back, her head turning to look at him.

He looked back, and the vulnerability in her eyes vaporized his anger, as he realized that she was the one putting herself on the line. She had had no choice but to say no to him. She didn't know anything else. But he, he had knowingly and willingly asked her something he knew she couldn't accept. He had hurt her, not the other way around.

He rolled onto his side, towards her, his hand coming to touch her right side, softly, making sure she knew he was fine.

'I'm so sorry, Booth,' she whispered, tears evident in her eyes.

'It's not your fault, Bones,' he whispered back and he scooted as close as possible, carefully turned her towards him and kissed her.

His lips met hers in passion, their emotions close beneath the surface, almost unbearable and uncontrollable. She felt a tear escape her eye, and then another. Everything she felt, she poured into kissing him, and he accepted it and gave it right back. She felt it all. Every day spent right beside her, protecting her in silent love, he admitted to her in his kiss.

Their tongues met and she whimpered. He was slowly losing control over his inner alpha male, the one that wasn't the silent man in the corner, but the one that was the fighter. The hunter. He came to the surface and Brennan felt him, desired him.

'Let go,' she whispered to him, and he broke the kiss. 'No,' he answered before kissing her more slowly, deeply, lovingly.

'Why?' she asked, a frown between her eyes as she broke the kiss.

He pulled her close to him, and he felt her hands on his chest.

'I don't want you to see that side of me,' he whispered, giving her the truth. 'It's not pretty.'

Brennan pushed back to look into his eyes. She saw a hint of the Booth she had just felt, but mostly, she saw his care, his love and his fear. All at once.

'It's you, Booth, I want to see it.'

He shook his head softly. 'No.'

'Please,' she whispered, her hands coming up to stroke his chest, her legs pulling him closer. 'it's ok. Don't hide it.'

He didn't know what to answer her so he just kissed her again. He would never let her see that ugly side of him. She wouldn't accept it. Maybe she'd see a glimpse of it here and there, if he lost control, but he'd never show her the animal that was caged inside of him.

She was both saddened and flattered with his statement, but she had felt something she wanted to know more about. She had seen this side of him a few times, when he felt she was at risk, his eyes became fire blazing to protect her. She knew he was afraid of hurting her. But she also knew he couldn't. If she could get him to let go, it would be the most passionate she had ever seen anyone. And she wanted to learn that.

'Booth, please,' she whispered again. 'I want to see you.. Like that.'

'No, Bones, drop it.' He answered, kissing her forehead and letting his hands wander along her side.

'I want to learn,' she whispered, almost too soft for him to hear. But he heard her.

'You're one of the most passionate people I know,' he said, his voice incredulous of her statement. 'You can't possibly learn anything from me, baby.'

Her heart clenched at his endearment, and her lips moved up to capture his once more. She would let go as much as she could for him, maybe he would do the same for her.

Slowly, she tried to let go of her inhibitions. She had never been one to hold back when it came to sex, but that had been with lovers. This was Booth. Something was the same, but something more important was different. This would last. He would know everything about her. And although she didn't want it to hold her back, it did.

So tonight she would dedicate herself to letting go. No more inhibitions. Especially with Booth she should be able to let go. Especially after he had let go with her and asked her the question he had been so afraid to ask. Especially after she had let him down.

His body became more and more aware of hers, his arms flexing around her, his hands wandering under her shirt. She felt his growing erection against her thigh, and her brain clouded in desire. She closed her eyes as his lips left hers and travelled down to her neck, sending shivers down her spine to centre at her core. Her own hands traveled a path of their own, under his shirt, over his smooth chest, pulling the shirt up and with some help, over his head. He did the same with her and they were both almost naked.

She met his lips again, rolling on top of him, her legs on either side of his. She softly bit his lower lip, her hands tickling his side. He groaned, his emotions swiftly threatening to take over again.

A thought crossed his mind. Maybe they both needed it. But he pushed it away.

She felt it, though. A single second in which his body raged like an animal, every muscle tuned in to please and protect her. It made her feel incredibly sexy, and she moved off him to remove her pants and panties in one swift movement.

She lay down on her back, on the covers, completely naked and open for him to see.

He looked at her, his eyes wide.

She felt naked, and she suppressed the urge to reach for the blanket.

He groaned again and a second later he was on top of her, his hands on her breasts, his legs on either side of hers. She squirmed under his hands, her nipples hard, her breathing hitched as his lips joined his hands. 'God,' she whimpered, and she felt him grow even harder. She reached for the bulge in his pants and tried to pull down his waistband. He aided her and a second later he too was naked, on top of her, licking every millimeter of her bare breasts with unlimited dedication.

She loved the feeling of his slightly raw tongue on her sensitive nipples, the feelings raging through her almost as uncontrollable as her thoughts. All she wanted was to see that Booth again, just for a second, have him loose himself in her. Tonight was about him.

She arched her back, then pushed her pelvis into his, and Booth moaned loudly. She smiled, her hands reaching for his neck, pulling him down for another kiss. With her kiss she tried to show him what she wanted. She wanted him, all of him. The ugly side of him he thought she didn't want to know. Her tongue tried to tell him that it was ok. It was a part of him, so she would love it. Unconditionally.

He got the message but still, he held back. Even though he felt her trying to give her all to him, he held back. As she moaned underneath him, her entire body moving to be as close to him as possible, her hands on is back, pulling and taking him, he held back.

She managed to get her legs from underneath his, wrapping them around his hips, pulling him even closer. He broke their kiss to look into her eyes as one of his hands travelled down, down to where her core and his member were impossibly close but not close enough. He softly touched his fingers to her opening and he found her so wet, he needed her.

'My God, Bones,' he whispered in awe of her trust and love, and he leaned forward on his elbows, needing no further guidance as he joined them.

A sharp call escaped her lips, and his eyes flew to his. Was she in pain? Her head was thrown back, her eyes closed, and her hands were on his muscled arms. No, she wasn't in pain. She was letting go.

Even though the feelings coursing through him were almost enough to lose it, he focused on pleasuring the amazing woman underneath him. 'You like that?' he whispered.

She just clawed at his arms, leaving scratches he didn't care about, and she hissed as he pulled back only to join them again.

'God, yes,' she whispered, opening her eyes to look into his. She saw it, the Booth she wanted to get to know better, right underneath the surface. She wanted him to take her, take what was his, take what she couldn't give willingly.

If he could only take her in marriage, if only there was a way he could take the decision from her. Then she would be able to give him all.

Her muscles tightened around him, deep inside of her, and he dropped his lips to hers. Kissing her deeply he felt her desire, her need to feel.

She tried to start a rhythm, but he took over, starting a deep, slow rhythm. 'Booth,' she whimpered, and he looked into her eyes where he found unshed tears, open emotions and only Bones. He moved faster, keeping his rhythm, thrusting less deep, afraid to hurt her. She didn't only sense his care, she saw it in his eyes.

'Don't be afraid to let go,' she managed between thrusts, one of her hand caressing his cheek. 'It's ok.'

He increased his rhythm again, and she lost all her power to talk, being dragged along the river of emotions and feelings he was creating between them. 'I need you, Bones,' he whispered in her ear, and she pulled him down to hug him close. 'Then let go,' she whispered back when she had found the strength. 'I love you.'

And suddenly the decision was clear. She knows the truth of you, and she's dazzled by that truth. Let go. She's doing the same for you.

And Brennan saw and felt the change in his entire body.

She hung onto him even tighter, opening her legs even wider for him, giving him deeper access as he lost all rhythm, moving deeper inside of her than ever, thrusting harder, faster, losing himself like she did.

The grip of her muscles on him became unbearable, and he met her lips in a kiss unlike anything they had shared before, all the pain, anger, promises and love between them suddenly almost tangible.

'Oh God, Booth,' she warned, clutching his shoulders and throwing her head back. 'Jesus!'

And she was carried away by the waves that kept coming, and coming, crashing down on her, her eyes closed tight, her head thrown back, her entire body tense against his.

He didn't know where he got the strength to hang on, but somehow, he did. One of his arms around her waist held her close, his movements slowed to help her ride out her orgasm, but he hung on.

As her body stilled and her eyes opened again, he simply looked at her, seeing her beautiful eyes hazed with her orgasm, looking at him, reaching for him.

He kissed her lips, then started moving again. 'Oh Booth,' she whispered, both in awe of his control and overwhelmed by the new feelings already starting to coil in her stomach.

'Bones, I'm so sorry,' he managed, as he picked up his rhythm again, thrusting deep, trusting himself not to hurt her. And he didn't, as he could already feel her muscles start to wind tighter and tighter again, as her eyes grew with wonder, her hands clutched his shoulders and her legs locked behind his back. 'Oh my God,' he whispered this time, as he felt the animal in himself take over, responding to her primeval moans and little noises, his body moving with hers in a rhythm known to man since the beginning.

'Come for me, Booth,' she whispered, the feelings in her stomach surprising her but his need more important to her than her own.

A surge of something rushed through his body and all his willpower went into not coming right there and then. 'Come for me, Bones,' he whispered back, expecting the same outcome for her.

And he wasn't disappointed.

Her eyes widened even more, her blues burning hot, seeing straight into his soul, a sound that can only be described as a wail left her mouth.

As he felt her muscles contract for the second time, even tighter than before, he couldn't hold on anymore. His rhythm became even more erratic, and one, two deep thrusts were all it took for him to pull her upper body close to him and fill her with his seed. He pulled her up, sitting on his knees with her body wrapped around him, connected in the most intimate way possible, coming harder than ever before, letting everything out.

Her tears falling onto his shoulders were what brought him back to her.

Immediately, he was fully alert again. 'Are you hurt?' his eyes were so soft as they found hers, so caring, that she only cried harder. 'What's wrong, baby? It's ok, I've got you. I'm sorry.'

'No,' she sobbed. 'That was.. That was beautiful.'

Then he realized her tears were tears of joy. Tears of love, and he couldn't stop his own. Clutching her head to his shoulder, he cried into her hair.

'Thank you,' she whispered after a while. He pulled back to look into her eyes, moving to lay them down again, pulling the blankets over them as he lay down next to her, facing her.

'Why did you want to see that?' he asked softly.

'I.. If you can let go, I can let go,' she simply stated, her voice shaking. Her blue eyes met his darker ones and he saw that look again, the one she had given him in the car, not too long ago. The one that asked for his approval. The look that begged him not to turn her down.

He smiled, and a wave of relief washed over her. 'I let go because you did,' he answered. 'That's how we work. And it's why we work. We do things for each other we would never do for anyone else, we make ourselves vulnerable. And we're there for each other.'

Brennan nodded into his chest. 'Thanks for being there, Booth.

'Always,' he answered. 'Thanks for being there, Bones.'

She pressed a kiss to his chest. 'Although I don't believe in always, I think it's the most accurate I can be at the moment.'

His smile was missed by her as she fell into a long night's uninterrupted sleep.

Booth stayed awake a long time after that, holding her, thinking about her. He would propose again. And she would say yes. Because like he had said to her, they did things for each other they would never do for anyone else. Things they didn't even know they had in them. Proposing had been stupid, selfish. But in a way, she had said yes. Just not now.

And like Gordon Gordon had once said, some patience in the matter, and trust. He had every intention of listening to that advice. Because if that was all she needed it would be the smallest sacrifice he would ever make for her.

**[Author's Note: Sorry for the length, I could have made it 2 chapters but I didn't want to. I hope you liked it. Thank you for all the kind reviews, it has helped me a LOT.]**


	9. Insanity

**[****Author's Note: since our beloved Bones won't air until November (probably due to ED's pregnancy which I love and adore so I'm completely down with the longer hiatus) I decided to throw in a little case, just a little one. Not a lot of science because I am really terrible at writing that. Enjoy.]**

Uncharted Lands

"_No cause is lost, if there is but one fool left to fight for it."_

If the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome, they were the most insane people in the world.

But they were living proof of that if you only want something bad enough, no matter how insane it might seem, it can work out. If you give your everything in order to get it.

As she lay in bed, in a deep sleep, exhausted from everything that was going on both inside and outside her body and mind, he was watching over her. Sleep wouldn't come for him, and he was content to hold her loosely in his arms and listen to the sound of her breathing.

When sleep did finally come to him, he had an unexpected dream.

Are either of them aware of the gathering turbulence?

The book she had started writing while he was in a coma. Its text was still buried deep within his mind, and only at desperate or intensely peaceful times did it surface. This was the only time it had surfaced at a peaceful time.

He had dreamt about Bren, his wife, the night he had met Hannah.

He had dreamt about Bren and their life the night Bones had told him she had regrets. That night had been the worst.

He had dreamt about Bren and her pregnant belly the night he had broken up with Hannah.

Tonight, he dreamt about Bones and their life together. Only it was almost the same as his life with Bren. But then even a little bit better.

He woke at around three in the morning, knowing he went to sleep way too early to be able to sleep the full night, and instantly aware of the vivid change in his dream. No longer would his heart be haunted by images of what couldn't be. It would be comforted by images of a life that lay ahead, whether she married him or not.

In her sleep she had rolled slightly away from him, now lying on her side facing away from him. He was on his back, one of his arms trapped underneath her silk hair, and his other draped over his own body in an attempt to encircle her.

She was still sound asleep, but he hadn't woken to silence. She was talking in her sleep, mumbling words barely loud enough for him to hear.

Closing his eyes he concentrated on her words, but he couldn't distinguish any of them, until he heard her say 'no'.

And she repeated it. 'No, no! Booth, no.'

He frowned, instantly worried, and he rolled on his side towards her to softly try to wake her. He shook her shoulders a little, turning her onto her back, and she opened her eyes.

He saw a flicker of fear, just one moment of unguarded emotions before she realized she was safe, in her own bed, with him beside her. Her look stayed unguarded but the fear disappeared. 'Booth.'

'Hey, were you dreaming?' he asked softly.

'I don't know, I think so,' she said, frowning. 'How did you know?'

'You were talking,' he said, lying back down, pulling her close. 'In your sleep.'

'Oh, did I wake you?' she asked. 'No, I just heard, so I woke you,' he answered.

She let him pull her close and wrapped her arms around his own. 'Thanks.'

'What were you dreaming about?' he asked.

'It's not true that dreams can be explained through symbolism, Booth,' she warned. 'I know you believe in that but don't try to explain my dreams. I know what they mean.'

He chuckled and his thumb soothed over the skin of her belly. 'Hey, easy, I won't.'

Still, she seemed hesitant.

'Come on Bones, tell me. If it's bothering you I want to know.'

She sighed deeply and finally nodded.

'I dream about a little girl. She's two years old. She has your eyes and my nose, and she keeps running away from us. And we can't get to her. But it's not a new dream, Booth. I've had it for years. And I know what it means. It's quite clear.'

He nodded into her hair.

'Yeah. I get it, Bones. Don't worry, she'll be fine. We'll raise the most beautiful, most intelligent and sweetest child on this planet. Together with Parker.'

'Jesus, Booth.. Do you want to tell Parker?' she suddenly changed the subject.

'Not yet, Bones.. Look, that dream. You know what it means, that's good, you also know it's bullshit right? We won't abandon our child and she won't abandon us. She'll have a better childhood than you had, Bones. She'll have the best.'

His kind words eased her mind but didn't put her demons to rest. She tried closing her eyes again but all she saw was the curly-haired girl, auburn hair, brown eyes piercing into her. 'Yeah, we'll be fine,' she whispered before falling back into a more peaceful slumber.

But like Booth's dream, hers wouldn't go away. It was the image that combined both her worst fear and her deepest desire, and it cut right through the scientist in her down to her core. And it cut her there, where it hurt most. And there, where only one person could help her.

And he was right beside her, like he always was.

Another hour or so later, his phone woke her, but he was quick to answer it. She listened to his voice, soon understanding there was a case.

'Is it bad?' she asked softly once he put down his phone.

'Pretty bad, Bones. Maybe you want to sit this one out.'

'Why?' she asked, turning towards him.

'It's a kid,' he said, his eyes worried as they met hers. 'I'll go alone.'

'No, I'm coming with you, it's not easier for you than it is for me, Booth,' she said, already on her way to the bathroom.

Only half an hour later they were both ready to go.

They decided to take his car, because they usually arrived in his car, and since not a lot of people at the lab knew about the new them, it seemed like the better plan.

'How bad is it?' Booth asked as he approached the officer in charge of securing the crime scene, an alley full of garbage and trash.

'Pretty bad sir, the body is over there,' he gestured. The officer knew the two partners well, he had worked a couple of cases with them and he had been one of the fine men at the office recently when Doctor Temperance Brennan had walked straight into the arms of Special Agent Seeley Booth.

Booth nodded his thanks and he signaled Brennan, who was talking to Cam. 'Why is Cam here?' he asked when she joined him. 'They also found an arm, it's not fully decomposed yet,' Brennan answered clinically. Booth looked at her.

He saw the woman he loved, hidden but present, covered by a layer, ever so thin of pure science, logic and distance that was the doctor in her. He nodded in acceptance, knowing this was how she dealt with it all, and he let her approach the body he hadn't dared to lay his eyes on.

After determining the victim was a girl of approximately three years old, Brennan asked for the remains to be shipped back to the lab. Partially because of the resources there, but partially because it made her nauseous watching the body lying there, between garbage bags and maggots, the smell sickening her.

She searched for Booth's eyes and found them, a concerned gaze of her always present partner, directed right at her. She started walking towards the car, apprehensive about showing sny affection especially with Cam there, but the nausea overwhelmed her.

She swayed, found the wall and threw up. No way of stopping it.

Everybody turned towards her, all eyes focused on Temperance Brennan who didn't vomit. Who didn't bat an eyelid at the most gruesome cases they came across.

Booth was at her side in a second, before his brain even realized it was probably normal for her to react poorly to the smell. One of his hands went to her arm, holding her up, as his other came around her waist to balance and ground her.

Cam's jaw dropped, not as much in surprise as in amazement of what she saw in front of her.

Booth didn't look surprised. Just worried.

Cam wasn't a fool. She'd known there was something going on between the two partners from the moment she joined the team. She knew Booth had a soft spot for Brennan. A pretty big one. So big in fact that for all the love he cherished for Brennan, he had never initiated a relationship with her because of the danger. The risks.

However. His movements now suggested something else. Had they finally gotten over the nonsense? Of course their job was dangerous, but sentencing yourself to a life without confirmation of your love was more dangerous. It was a killer.

'I'm fine,' Brennan waved at Booth, and he let go of her waist but kept his hand on her arm. 'You sure?'

'Yes, it was just the smell. I was overwhelmed by the effects it has on me now.'

She said it softly, only he heard. His answer was a nod, a smile and a squeeze of his hand on her arm before he let her go to gesture towards his car. 'Lab?'

'Lab,' she nodded, following him.

'I'm going to stay here, call Hodgins,' Cam called.

'He's not available, I think,' Brennan answered. 'Baby is coming home.'

'Then I'll collect the samples for Wendell,' Cam said. Brennan nodded. 'We'll figure it out at the lab. See you when you get there,' she greeted before getting in the car with Booth.

Definitely something going on, Cam decided.

'Do you think she saw it?' Brennan asked Booth as he got in and closed the door.

'Saw what?' he asked. 'She saw you.. You know, throw up, and then she saw me next to you, but otherwise..'

'Do you think she suspects us?'

'Look, Bones,' he said, his tone as serious as his eyes as he leaned in a little to get through to her. 'There is nothing to be suspected of. We're not committing a crime. Cam knows how I feel about you and she probably knows how you feel about me. She's pretty good at reading people. So maybe she knows, maybe she doesn't.'

'Does that bother you?' she asked, her eyes as serious as his.

'Not at all,' he answered honestly. 'I never loved Cam like that. She's great but she's a friend. We'll talk to her if you want to, you know, get it straight. She'll appreciate it.'

'Ok, let's do that later,' Brennan nodded. 'She deserves to hear it from us. Cam's a good friend.'

Booth nodded. 'Ok. How're you feeling now?'

'Fine, thanks,' she smiled. 'I hope we can clean the bones fast, get rid of that smell. It's going to be difficult for me working with bodies if the smell makes me sick.'

'I think that's first trimester only,' Booth said. 'I remember Angela craving chili con carne when Hodgins was analyzing some mold. She said it was because of the way it smelled.'

'Really?' Brennan said, her eyes wide. 'Those molds can smell.'

'Really,' Booth laughed. 'I just hope your cravings won't be for those smelly health stuff smoothies you used to have breakfast with.'

'Ugh, I can't really stand to even think of those,' Brennan said. 'They're healthy but absolutely an acquired taste.'

'Yeah, they're disgusting,' he said. She laughed and nodded. 'Absolutely.'

The ride to the lab was easy, both of them comfortable in each other's presence. But once they arrived, Booth noticed changes in Brennan.

'Hey, you nervous?' he asked, concerned.

'A little, Booth. These are our friends, and they had a difficult time as well. But we, we have each other. Some of these people don't have anyone. I feel.. Like we've cheated on them.'

'Cheated?' he mused. 'Yeah, I think I know what you mean. Like we were selfish. But Bones, you're so wrong. We are the most selfless people around. You see that, don't you?'

She thought about it, then nodded. 'I know I should feel fine with it all. But you know, they deserve to have the same happiness I found.'

He took her hand and squeezed it softly before he exited the car. She followed him, and together they walked towards the main entrance.

'This is insane,' Brennan muttered to herself as they approached the lab platform where a few employees were working.

'It's gonna be fine, and we still have some time before they get back with the fleshy bits,' Booth said. 'Do you want me to stick around?'

'If you'd like, you can stay until I've finished my preliminary examination, see if we can identify the remains or determine cause of death,' she said rather coldly, but as he looked in her eyes he saw a different story. Yes, she wanted him to stick around. She needed him to. So he stayed.

So he watched as she worked, he took in every tiny movement, how her brow furrowed at a mystery, how her gloved fingers softly touched and examined the remains. Where others saw a dedicated scientist, he saw a passionate woman capable of great love. He knew she still had trouble accepting this new pace, their lives suddenly intertwined forever, by fate and not by choice. But like a crime that looked impossible to solve, she had always been able to make impossible things happen. And he knew that deep down she longed to have a family, like him. He had Parker, but she, she had had nothing of the sorts to substitute. It made him incredibly happy to know that not only was he going to have a family, he was going to give her one as well. A real family that would never abandon her, never walk out on her. A smile formed around his lips as he thought of their future.

In a corner, Cam had entered the Jeffersonian. She stood speechless, witnessing her friend and former lover Seeley Booth sitting there on the platform. He looked so happy, his features void of anything sad or angry. She saw contentment, love and joy beaming from his face, the object of his glow being Temperance Brennan.

So it was true.

What Angela had said, it wasn't a joke.

Angela had called Cam this morning, telling her to look closely at the two and 'see the miracle.' Cam hadn't believed it, Angela often saw love and joy where it wasn't due. But this time, she had been right on the spot. Those two were finally together.

And even though Cam was seeing someone, a great someone, she felt a pang of jealousy. She had let him slip. She had told him that it was just fun. And now he had finally found peace, she was glad, happy for him, but only because she knew she wouldn't have been able to make him happy. His heart had belonged to Temperance Brennan even before they had met.

She decided not to interrupt, so softly she moved the arm into her autopsy room and went to work, everything going unnoticed by both Brennan and Booth.

After Brennan had finished her examination of the body, she gave her findings to Booth, who called them in to the FBI. He wanted some time to be with Brennan, to tell Cam together, because he knew this was a wall she had trouble getting over.

'You wanna do it now?' he asked when he met her again.

She nodded. 'I think it's best to let her know now, I mean, the earlier they all know the better, that's how I feel. It is going to be extremely difficult to find adequate replacement when I am on maternity leave, so Cam might want to start looking,' Brennan rationalized. Booth chuckled.

'You sure it's that, or do you just want to tell her?'

'No, it's only practical she knows,' she answered, but again, her eyes told him the opposite story. But he didn't need her eyes to tell him that, he knew. She was a scientist, but she was a woman first. And even though she had been very good at hiding the woman, after seven years of knowing her, he understood the woman in Brennan better than she herself.

She approached the Autopsy room, swiftly, surely. But as soon as she opened the door and the smell that was worse in there got to her again, she hesitated but pushed through, and Booth followed her, his hand on the small of her back to support and guide her.

'Hey Cam, we want to talk to you,' he started.

Cam looked up from her autopsy table, her eyes large and questioning. 'No, I haven't found anything yet, if that's what you were going to ask.'

She knew the dumb game worked with Brennan, but she was unsure if Booth would be fooled by it.

'It's not about the case,' Brennan took over. 'I'm pregnant.'

Booth looked at her, his eyes big, and his jaw dropped. 'Bones!'

Cam's face looked much alike, her eyes surprised and her mouth agape. 'What?'

'I will need to go on maternity leave, so you might want to start looking for a replacement.'

Booth stepped forward, taking over the conversation from Brennan. 'Yeah.. Cam, right, Bones and I.. we're kind of… We're together… Yeah.'

He was uncomfortable so he stepped back again.

'Congratulations, I had no idea!' Cam exclaimed, not entirely convincing.

'Thank you,' Brennan accepted, but she looked at Booth, who was silent. 'We didn't plan it,' she added carefully.

'But we're very happy,' Booth said quickly, reassuring Brennan, because he saw in her eyes she needed it. 'Yes, very happy,' she said, smiling.

'The things you want rarely come at the time you want them,' Cam pondered loud enough for them to hear.

Brennan missed the sour note in her voice, Booth didn't.

'Even though it makes little logical sense, you're right,' Brennan said.

Booth nodded. 'Yeah. Come on Bones, time to get back to work.' He guided her outside.

'What was that for?' she said, moving to free herself from his grasp.

'Let's just give Cam some time to think about it, ok?' he asked. 'She's happy for us, of course, and now she knows, so it's fine now.'

'I don't understand why you're upset,' Brennan said, a frown on her face.

'Look, Bones.. Cam's just a little sensitive about the subject, ok? Just leave it.'

She nodded, but was clearly not happy with it. However, she dropped the issue and they didn't bring it up again.

At the end of the day, he made a scene of picking her up at the door of the Jeffersonian, a quiet hint to everyone there that it was true, that every rumor they had heard could be believed, and she played along, only tensing a little when he kissed her softly before helping her in the car. He wanted to laugh, cry, scream and run all at the same time, but he had no idea what was going on in her head.

Although her face betrayed nothing, Brennan was nervous about everything. About Cam's reaction, about Booth's response to it, about her pregnancy. It made her feel overwhelmed and out of control and she couldn't handle it. She felt like she was about to burst into a million pieces of raw emotion, and it scared her. She knew she could confide in Booth but she had been so out of control lately that she didn't know how much of her he could handle.

She knew only one thing for sure: She had to confide in him on at least a small part of it, because her own bucket was about to overflow.

'What did Cam mean, Booth?' she asked softly as they were on their way to her apartment. 'When she said things you want rarely come at a time you want them, what did she mean?'

Booth looked at her before answering, seeing the importance of her question and his answer in the tears threatening to overflow her eyes.

'She meant.. You know what, she didn't mean that we didn't deserve it. Or that we cheated on her. None of that, Bones.'

Brennan nodded. 'But what did she mean?'

'Look, Cam and I go way back, you know that,' he said. 'She just.. She just meant that she regrets being so casual with me, I guess. She knew I didn't want that.'

Brennan went quiet. She hadn't considered that answer and it hurt her, it stung her like an angry wasp.

Jealousy.

She had learned to live with it when Hannah was in the picture, she had even learned to suppress it. But not anymore. Cam had implied that she wanted the same from Booth as she, Brennan, now had, and that hurt her deeply. How could Cam know what she felt for Booth? Who was she to judge Brennan's feelings for Booth?

Booth pulled into her parking lot, parked the car and regarded her closely, seeing Brennan deeply engulfed in her mind.

'Hey, we're home,' he whispered after a minute, and she looked at him, a second of confusion passing her eyes. 'Yeah. Ok.'

As they approached her door, he put a hand in the small of her back. 'Hey, don't worry about the whole thing with Cam, ok? This, what we have, it's ours. It's none of her business.'

She nodded. 'Ok.' And even though she knew it was stupid, she was grateful for his hand on her back, his continuous support with nothing more than just a touch, because otherwise she had a strong feeling she would break.

Once inside, she turned to lock the door.

She was too preoccupied to notice his presence right behind her, and when she turned, he caught her wrists expertly and pushed her back into the door.

'Listen to me,' he whispered in a soft but insistent voice.

'You listen to me. What Cam thinks, it doesn't matter. It's what we think that's important. I'll tell you what I think.'

She felt trapped, but she realized with a pang she liked it. His body was close to hers, touching, but only just. She was trapped with her wrists to her sides, his mouth close to hers, almost close enough to kiss, but he kept just enough, or too much, distance.

'What?' she whispered, playing his game.

'I love that we're together like this. I love that you're pregnant, and I love that you're letting me in your life. That's what I think,' he stated bluntly, a little bit afraid of going too far but pushing that aside for now. She wanted facts, she'd get facts.

And then she stayed still.

And he kissed her, just to break the silence, just because he frankly couldn't stand being so close to her without having his hands to touch her. He kissed her deeply, feeling her react instantly, a gasp coming from deep inside of her, her insides warming immediately at his touch.

Her brain went foggy. All she knew were his words, his lips and his presence, his big, overwhelming presence that was there for her to share her burdens, to carry them all if she wanted him to, to comfort her, to keep her safe and most importantly, to love her, her mind, but also her body and soul and the tiny little child growing inside of her.

Her heart opened herself for him anew, as her hands came free from his grasp and started touching him everywhere they could.

Soon, they were both undressing the other, Brennan busy with the buttons on his shirt, kissing him without losing concentration, while Booth had his hands up her blouse to cup her breasts, just loving her, wanting her.

'Bedroom,' he whispered in her ear when his lips had found their way to her neck, but her hands stopped him. 'No,' she whispered back, and she placed his hands back on her body as she undid his pants.

Another wave of intense arousal coursed through him and he didn't care about where they were. He only cared about her, about the fire inside of her that needed controlling. The fire that was her insecurity, like a candle usually tamed but once unleashed very dangerous.

He loved that part of her, the vulnerabilities she showed him, the need that just flew to him when she encountered a rough spot.

She felt him respond to her, and she couldn't stop her own need from spiraling out of control. Pulling at his clothes she managed to get his pants and underwear off, he stepped out of it and helped her out of her clothes before pushing her back into the door.

'Booth,' she panted. Nothing more.

He pushed his body to hers, then pulled back a little and lifted her, supporting her with one arm against the door as she locked her legs around his waist.

'I need you,' he whispered to her. 'Take me,' she whispered back, taken aback by her own voice but beyond caring.

He did, sliding home, and a deep moan escaped both their lips. Then she found his lips again, silencing any further sounds as he moved inside of her, her hands on his shoulders, in his hair and all around him encouraging him.

She was doing it again, he realized. She was searching for that side of him he didn't want her to be intimately familiar with. But she did. And she found him again, when she threw her head back and thrust her body towards his, her nails digging into his back, she found his other side again.

And he lost control with her, both of them flying without a safety net, without wings and without anything to ground them, just them, one creature with four legs, four arms and two heads.

Although he wanted it to last, he couldn't make himself slow down. He couldn't make her slow down. She wanted it all from him, and he couldn't do anything but give it to her. Harder and harder, his hands undoubtedly leaving marks on her fair skin, and still she was encouraging him with her hands, her voice, her lips and her muscles encircling him tighter and tighter, until finally she couldn't hold back anymore and a deep moan escaped her lips before she went silent, her head falling to his shoulder, his arms around her, holding her to him as she came, her orgasm as sudden as it was intense, like his own, because again he had no choice but to follow her.

He struggled to keep them from falling, but he succeeded, and as she came down she tightened her hold on him.

'Bedroom?' he whispered again, needing to lay down with her if only for a minute.

'Yeah,' she nodded weakly, and he carried her there, cradling her head to his shoulder.

As he sat with his back to her headboard, the blankets pulled over them, she rested her head on his chest, one of her arms behind him stroking his back, the other on his chest. His arms were around her, one resting on her hip, the other softly caressing her arm.

'You know, Booth.. It's not ugly,' she said suddenly, her voice sweet and soft.

He knew immediately what she meant. 'It is, Bones.'

'No, it's not. It's as beautiful as any other side to you,' she answered solemnly. 'You don't know what I did,' he whispered, sadness clouding his voice.

'I don't care,' she whispered back, feeling his skin shiver with disgust for himself. 'It's not ugly. It may be less pretty but it's still pretty, Booth.'

'Is there any anthropological evidence for that or something?' he asked, sarcasm in his voice.

'No,' she said, not missing the sarcasm but forgiving him, 'But I know you. And I know that side of you better than you know. And there's nothing wrong with it.'

'I just don't want you to see something you don't like,' he said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

It fell back, tickling her nose, stubborn like the rest of her. 'I won't,' she answered.

After a few minutes, as she pulled back to look at him a little, he had closed his eyes. She saw a little frown on his face, evidence of how much he worried about their conversation.

'Booth,' she whispered, making sure he wasn't asleep. He opened one eye to peek at her. She laughed, and he opened them both.

'I have a side like that, too,' she confessed quietly and seriously.

His face grew serious as well. 'No, you don't.'

'I do. I know I lack social skills but I still put myself in situations where I need them. That's got to be awkward for you, especially when I suddenly can't control my emotions.'

He smiled at her. 'It's not. It's you, it's a part of who you are.'

A smile appeared on her face as well, lighting up her entire face. 'Exactly.'

And that was the end of it, she put her head back on his chest, closed her eyes and relaxed into his body. She had been quite surprised to find Booth holding back so much from her, afraid to do what he had been asking from her for years: Be himself around her, just let go.

She had found it very hard in the beginning of this, entering into unknown territory with just him to help her, but she had found herself along the way. She had come to learn things about herself, how she liked to be treated, how much she loved to just have him around, to just be in his arms, how she felt their connection even stronger than before every day they spent together. It had made her more vulnerable, but it had made her stronger. That contradiction was something she still struggled with, but truth be told, she didn't care. As long as she could get him to show her that side he didn't like, the warrior, the fighter she admired so much in him, as long as he wasn't afraid to give her his all, she'd be fine. And they'd be fine.

**[A/N: some of you mentioned you'd wait double time for double length, so here you go. Please R&R!]**


	10. Resemblances

**[Author's note: Not such a very long chapter, but I hope you like it. I've had a rough few days not being accepted into the school I quit my other school for, so I'm kind of in between dreams at the moment. By the way: Your reviews have been amazing!]**

Uncharted Lands

10. Resemblances

Two days later they had made zero progress on their murder case.

Booth was getting more and more worried, seeing Bones getting submerged in the case. He had tried to get her to back off but she wouldn't, being determined to help find who murdered this girl.

She had found out some facts about her, but the girl hadn't been identified yet. Partly because there was no report of someone matching her description going missing, and partly because Brennan suspected the girl was foreign.

Brennan herself was fully aware of her involvement in the case, but she just couldn't back down. She needed to do this. Ever since the case had started, her dreams had turned into nightmares. She had even asked Booth to leave her alone last night, because she knew that if he noticed, she'd have to talk. He had respected her request and slept in his own bed, alone, but he had been at her door first thing in the morning to make sure she was all right. She pretended to be, but she felt just like she had with the Lauren Eames case. In over her head.

'You wanna take an early lunch?' a voice sounded through her office. Brennan looked up to find Booth in her doorway, unsure of how far he was allowed to go, especially after her cold disposition this morning after she'd sent him packing.

'I just want to work, Booth,' she said, her pleading eyes betraying her cold tone. She lacked the strength now to keep up the façade, and frankly she didn't want to.

'Ok, I'll get us something,' he answered, giving her a smile that told her I understand you and I'm here for you.

So a few minutes later he was back, carrying two bagels and coffee. He sat on her couch and she regarded him from behind her desk.

'If you want them, come and get them,' he challenged with a grin. She frowned. 'Why?'

'Come on Bones, just humor me. You can work from here as well.'

She gave in, grabbing her file and moving to sit next to him.

They ate in silence for a while, until Booth's eye caught a note on the paper in front of her.

'Definite signs of abuse? Jesus, it's only getting worse.'

'We will find who did this, Booth,' she said, trying to reassure both her and him at the same time.

'I know you will,' he said, handing her the bagel. 'Here, you have to eat, especially now.'

'Yeah.. About that, maybe.. Maybe this is not such a good idea,' she suddenly said, avoiding his eyes, looking down.

'What, lunch?'

'The baby, Booth..'

'What?'

She shocked the hell out of him, he couldn't believe his ears. He turned towards her, taking her bagel from her and softly lifting her chin so she had to meet his eyes.

'What are you saying? Look, I know you're having a hard time with this, but please just talk to me. What's going on?'

'I.. Is it responsible of us to bring a child into the world? With the work we do?' she said, her voice clear but her eyes watering.

'How can we protect our baby, Booth?'

His expression softened, the initial shock slowly leaving him. 'Hey, look. I know it's hard to believe, and I know you won't believe me. But just hear me out.' He saw her nod, the movement almost too small to notice but he did, so he continued.

'This, it's a miracle. We're having a baby, and we'll love it so much, Bones.. It'll be worth it. No matter what happens, no matter how hard it is for us to keep her safe.. It'll be worth it. And easier because of it.'

She sobbed at his words, and he put his arms around her, cradling her, trying to chase away her demons with soft whispers.

After a while, she became quiet, but she didn't move away. Her head was lying on his chest, where it had been so many times over the past week, and she felt safe. So safe, that no matter how ridiculous his words should sound, they sounded real. And true.

'I missed you so much last night,' he whispered in her hair, no reason for his words other than that he had to tell her. He had been miserable. Tossing, turning, unable to shake the feeling that he was abandoning her.

Of course he had felt her struggle the night before, he had witnessed her fight her nightmare. But he hadn't mentioned it, he had just tried to calm her and be there for her, never mentioning it when she was awake, afraid to hurt her pride. Nonetheless, she had sent him away and he had gone, just like that. Given her the space she had requested, because he had seen no other option: Her eyes had told him the same as her words. I need space. And he could do nothing but respect that.

But he had been sad. Angry even, at himself, for leaving her like that. Letting her fight her dreams alone, with no one around to comfort her.

She just pressed her cheek into him, seeking more contact, her body telling him she missed him too.

And she had. She'd felt it all the way down through her toes, the sharp pain that was missing him. And she was sure it had made the nightmare worse, because last night, she hadn't been trying to get to the girl with Booth at her side. She'd been trying all alone. And again, she had failed.

She sniffed, emotions getting the best of her again and she moved to sit next to him again, just being with him. 'I missed you too,' she whispered back. 'But I didn't want you to notice.'

'I noticed, Bones. Don't be ashamed of a nightmare. Let me help.'

She was astonished. How did he know? She was sure he had been asleep the two times she had woken from her dream, his body quietly breathing next to her, his arms around her making everything a little bit better, until she closed her eyes again.

'You can't help, Booth. I've been through this before. It's the case.'

'I know, with the Gravedigger?' he said, handing her her coffee before it got cold.

'Yeah.. And later, too.'

He frowned, trying to think about which case she meant.

She saw his struggle and felt a shot of pain run through her. He didn't know.

'You know, with the doctor that we found under the tree. Lauren Eames?'

His face went blank, his insides clenched. Had it been that bad for her?

'Oh. Yeah, I know which one you mean.'

Neither of them felt any need to talk about her confession to him that night. The fact that they both knew about it was enough, now was the time to concentrate on other things.

'You had nightmares then as well?'

She nodded. 'Pretty bad ones.'

'I didn't see,' Booth said softly, his voice thick with guilt. 'I'm so sorry, Bones. I had no idea.'

'I know,' she said, no particular tone in her voice. 'I didn't tell you. We weren't.. as close as we used to be then, and it was my problem, not yours.'

'We're partners, Bones,' he said, taking her hands, concerned that she didn't trust him with basics like this. 'You have a problem, I have a problem. You share stuff like that.'

'I don't,' she whispered and pulled back her hands. 'I'm used to being alone.'

He nodded. 'Yeah, I know. Still, you should have said something, Bones.. I really didn't know.'

'The point is..' She hesitated, should she tell him now?

'Go on,' he encouraged.

'The point is that that case reminded me of me. This one doesn't remind me, it just.. This kid could be ours, Booth.'

'You know, the fact that you worry about this is proof that you'll do anything to keep our baby safe, and that's all you can do,' he said, knowing it was little consolation but still, he knew it to be true.

She nodded. 'I guess you're right. I'll just have to accept that even though this world can be very dangerous, it can also be beautiful. And we'll do anything to show our child as much of that beauty as possible, right?'

He smiled at her. 'Yeah, we will. Hockey, burgers, maths, sunrises.. All of that.'

She felt a little pang of something at his words, remembering their conversation about faith. 'One plus one equals two,' she whispered.

'Or three,' he countered, and his breath hitched at his own words.

'Or three,' she repeated, testing the statement, finding it to be pure truth.

They continued their work, Booth helping her as much as he could, trying at the same time to reassure her, just show her he was there, convince her she could tell him anything that bothered her anytime. Always.

Another few hours later they had worked through every single piece of evidence they had, and some things had been cleared up. They also had a witness to interview. This proved to be their next point of argument.

'I'm going to talk to that guy, you stay here, Bones,' Booth said.

'Why?' she asked. 'I wanna come with you.'

'Bones, listen to me. Just.. Stay here, I'll be back in no time, ok? Just let me do this one alone.'

'Why?' she asked again.

He wanted to answer her truthfully. He wanted to say the man was a convicted criminal, even though he now worked at a pretty high end restaurant, he was dangerous. Two counts of illegal weapons possession, drug possession and assault, this man was a criminal. But he knew she'd want to come anyway. And besides, there was another reason.

'I just.. I think it's a good idea that you back off a little, you know, work the case from here, but just stay out of the hard stuff. Witnesses can get to you, you know that. Besides, there's a lot you can do here, help us along a little.'

She didn't buy it but she really didn't feel up to arguing.

'Ok,' she agreed weakly.

He closed the distance and put a hand on her shoulder, searching her eyes. 'Hey, you ok?'

She nodded, still weakly. 'Yes. You go interrogate this guy, I'll call you if I find anything important.'

He felt she wasn't really all right, she was probably very tired, but he didn't want to push her now. So he nodded and accepted her words with a warm smile.

'Wait for me,' he said.

'I will,' she answered, and they shared a look that was theirs, only theirs.

Brennan didn't work much. She tried to figure out Angela's facial reconstruction program, but she just couldn't figure it out like that. It would take time, time she wasn't giving herself. 'Damn,' she cursed when another attempt failed.

She decided to concentrate on the remains, but sitting in bone storage with the skull in her hands only made her condition worse. She started imagining how the child would have looked. She was quite skilled at making her own assessment based on bones, and she decided to try her hand at some facial reconstruction herself.

Worst idea ever.

Even though she proved to be quite a good artist, she couldn't help but imagine some parts. Hair color, eye color. Expression.

A few hours later, Booth entered the lab again. He went looking for Brennan, not seeing her anywhere on the platform. He decided bone storage first, then her office.

In bone storage he found the remains, without a skull.

An ice cold fist grabbed his heart. No. She wouldn't. Would she?

He knew she was desperate to identify the remains, and he knew immediately what stunt she had probably tried to pull.

Instead of Brennan's office, he went straight for Angela's.

There, he found her.

She was sitting on the floor, arms wrapped around her knees, sobbing. A picture beside her, a drawing of a young girl. Their girl.

It didn't take him a second to recognize both their facial features in her drawing, and he was frozen for a second.

Her sobs pulled him back into reality and his feet started moving towards her, reaching her in no time, his body knowing what to do without his mind being present.

He fell onto his knees beside her, cradling her trembling body, pulling her close.

'Shh, it's ok. I'm here, I've got you, baby.. It's ok,' he mumbled into her hair, hoping she would hear him.

She hadn't heard him enter but she didn't flinch when he put his arms around her. He needed no explanation. He knew. She knew it had been a stupid idea, straying into the land of creativity, her rational brain unable to discern fact from desire. She had wanted to make the picture look like this. It was partly accurate, the basics, shape of the face etcetera, but every feature had been influenced by her imagination. And he had recognized it as well. The words he was whispering to her made that clear.

'It's not her, it's ok, baby. She's fine. You're fine, I promise, we can do this. I've got you.'

He had called her baby before, in times of great stress, and she hadn't minded. She couldn't mind now, but still, like always, the word soothed her more than all his other words.

Baby. She shouldn't like it.

But right now she didn't care. She liked it. It made her belong, and that was what she needed, to belong. To have a place in the world that would be hers, where no one would judge her or put her down or speak badly of her. A place where being Temperance Brennan was enough.

And that place was in his arms.

After a few minutes she stilled, her arms still around her knees, one hand came up to hold his wrist to her. His arms were wrapped around her, one around her shoulders, the other above her own around her knees, holding her entire body close.

The contact of her cold fingers to his wrist made him open his eyes, signaled him that she was calming down.

Then, her voice came as soft as a butterfly's wings. 'I can't do this anymore.'

He knew it was the moment speaking, but he didn't care. If she needed him to understand her, he would.

'Ok, it's ok, let's get you home,' he whispered and she nodded. She didn't really want to give up now, but it was just overwhelming her and she needed to distance herself.

'Can we go to your place?' she whispered softly, and he frowned, but nodded. 'Sure.'

He'd ask her why later, right now he just guessed that she had some bad memories from the night before and the night he had rejected her, when she had thought she was all alone and would be forever.

He texted Cam and that was that, no one could stop him from taking her home. If she needed time, she'd have it. It was very rarely that Temperance Brennan needed time and space, so he knew she probably had a lot of sick days. He asked Cam to book a few for her, even though he thought she'd probably want to go back tomorrow, he wouldn't let her go without a metaphorical fight.

Cam texted an ok back, but by the time he read it, he already had her inside his home.

He made her tea and she felt like she was in a rollercoaster. No strength to stop what was happening around her, part of her accepting it, part of her scared to death.

As he sat down with her she knew she had to talk. Again. And she knew it would only help her, but she just couldn't find the words to explain to him, to just say that she had no control over her situation.

'Here,' he said as he handed her the tea, sitting down next to her, taking a relaxed position on his couch.

She smiled her thanks and accepted the cup, pulling her legs up under her body, comfortable with him and her surroundings. It was in this room where she had, maybe subconsciously, decided to let go, it would be here where she could do it again. Just talk to him.

She was an author, words were supposed to be her strong suit. But fiction was so much easier than reality. To write something, just put the words down on paper without any form of direct confrontation except with yourself, that was safe. That was what she knew how to do. But really talking to someone, Booth, about her feelings was a whole different thing. The words she'd write to him wouldn't be suitable to just say. They never were. They were fiction.

She was lost in thought for a minute, and he saw it, but he didn't comment because he knew she was probably forming sentences to say to him, make sure he understood.

A few moments later, she looked up at him.

'I'm sorry I tried that facial reconstruction.'

He just nodded. 'I'm sorry for letting you do it. I should have known you'd try.'

'You're not my babysitter, Booth. I'm not qualified to do facial reconstructions that way, I shouldn't have tried.'

He just dropped it, no point in arguing with her over something that had already happened.

'It's partly accurate, though,' she continued. 'The shape and position of everything is accurate. It's just that.. It takes some improvisation, and I'm not good at improvising.'

'We'll have someone take a look at it.'

She knew he meant an artist, who could make it accurate again, and it hurt. But she was glad he wasn't angry.

'I'm just.. scared,' she said, her voice much softer now.

She knew how he had felt now, back all those years ago when he had said he needed to talk about what he had done, back at the grave of the brave soldier. She had said he would, eventually, find someone to talk to, but he had known then that he had found that someone. He just hoped she could keep up with him and understand him. That's exactly how she felt now. Falling, falling from high ground, with nothing but cold rocks under her. But in between, he would catch her, save her from herself, like she had when she had listened to him that day.

'I know,' he whispered and their hands found each other. 'I am, too. The world isn't easy, Bones. But look at what we have. What we've built together. This baby will grow up surrounded by love, joy and happiness, it's the most beautiful thing in the world.'

She nodded softly. 'Do you have nightmares?'

He shook his head. 'No. But I did with Parker on the way. I won't pretend to know what it feels like for you, but I know how it felt for me. Shit-scared, and I still am some times, about stuff I think I can't afford or can't enrich his life with. It's parent insecurity, I think. We all want the best for our kids, you know, sometimes we can't see that we're already giving it to them.'

'But Parker's a wonderful child, Booth. You don't have to be insecure about anything, you already did it right once. I have no experience with children, especially newborns. How will I know what to do?'

'Instinct,' he answered truthfully. 'You'll know. Just trust your gut, Bones.'

'My gut knows how to raise children?' she asked, and of course it was half a joke.

He just smiled. 'Yep, it does.'

Then, they just sat and drank their hot beverage, very grateful for each others' presence.

'I just don't want to end up like my dad,' Booth stated suddenly, his voice soft and shaky. Brennan's eyes flew to his and she saw unexpected tears well up in his brown orbs. She panicked a little, wanting to comfort him but not really skilled in that department. She put a hand on his shoulder.

'Booth, you're not your father,' she said softly, her voice emphasizing every word.

'How do you know for sure?' he said, knowing it wasn't the question to ask her of all people, but still it needed to be asked.

'I know you,' she answered, surprising him. He had expected statements about certainty and stuff like that, but he should have known better. Her heart was enormous.

'I know you and you're a good man, Booth,' she said again, her voice insistent. He looked at her, and his vulnerability struck her in its power.

'My mom didn't know at first,' he said, softly, scared of her reaction, scared of his father and what he might still mean to this life.

'Listen to me,' Brennan asked more than ordered. 'You listen to me. You're the kindest, softest man I've ever met. You're strong but you never use it against anyone if you don't have to. You're not aggressive by nature, Booth. You have to believe me. I know I'm safe with you, you would never hurt me. Ever.'

Her words sunk in but still there was a wall, a wall that held the last of his doubt, her words not quite strong enough to destroy it all.

A tear fell from his eye and she saw it. Her body reacted to his tear and she pulled him close, his head on her shoulder, her arms around his back. Whenever I get scared, I'll hug you, he had said. This was that moment, even if he hadn't initiated the hug, he took all he could get from it.

That afternoon they made love slowly, so slowly that they both almost passed out with the intensity of it all. Her hands soothed and ignited every part of his body and mind, ice and fire, and he did the same for her. Afterwards they sought out the comfort of his bed, enjoying peace for a little while before going back out into the world. He rested his hands on her belly, fingers intertwined with hers, feeling better and more confident. She felt his confidence emanate from him and she felt proud. A swell in her chest caused by his reaction to her words, his body and mind easing at her touch. She caused this. She loved it.

Later that day, when the sun was about to go down, he took her to watch the sunset at the Washington monument. Sitting on the stairs she felt like she never thought she would, she felt as if everything in her life was going right. Nothing was wrong, nothing was amiss, except for their as of yet unsolved case. But she felt sure that together, they would solve their case. As they would solve anything that stood in their way.

Brennan had never been a great believer of fate, but sitting here with Booth, her head leaning on his shoulder, his arm around her waist warming her, she suddenly understood what it meant. It meant finding that perfect moment with someone or something, that perfect minute in life that you feel you've been waiting for without knowing it. Because every once in a while, this moment happens and you realize it's exactly right. That's fate, she realized. And it hadn't been kind on her until now, but she had a feeling she'd get to know fate a lot better from now on. The gods were smiling down on her, she realized something Booth had said to her once. She hadn't understood or wanted to understand it back then, but now, she understood. The sun slowly setting, the air slowly getting chilly, those where the gods. Messages from the universe.


	11. Jane Doe

**Author's note: Sorry for the delay, I've had to deal with some personal stuff over the past weeks. Anyway, stuff is settled, ****and I'm back on track. This chapter isn't my usual level but I hope it doesn't disappoint too much.]**

Uncharted Lands

11. Jane Doe

'We found her,' Angela called.

It was another week later, and they had identified the girl as a Rumanian immigrant. They had been unable to find any next of kin, comparing DNA to every database they could find, but until now they had been unsuccessful.

'Where?' Brennan asked, hurrying towards her best friend. She had been trying to keep her distance from the case, and she had largely failed, but Booth and everyone at the lab had been keeping a close eye on her on Booth's request, without Brennan knowing. They had taken over some tasks from her, pretending not to know they weren't supposed to, giving her less of a workload. Brennan suspected something but frankly, she was glad. She wanted to do everything, anything she could as fast as she could, and she knew that without the help of her colleagues and friends she probably would have had another breakdown, even if she hated to admit it.

'Right here, in cold storage,' Angela said when her friend was close enough to hear.

'What?' It was the only answer Brennan didn't want.

'Yeah, Jane Doe 453,' Angela said softly. 'Poor family.'

Brennan nodded her thanks at the young mother and holding her phone up she gestured that she was going to inform Booth.

Like every sign only remotely related to Booth, this one too caused a wink and a grin from Angela to reach Brennan. She loved that her best friends were together, finally, after so many long years of dancing around each other. She was over the moon excited about the development, maybe even more about the pregnancy. And all she wanted was to see Temperance Brennan truly happy. Which she had, over the last few days she'd seen more and more of the little spark in Brennan's eyes which had told her she was really truly happy. And in the end, that's what friends want for each other.

Speed dial, Booth's voice. 'Hey,' he greeted her, his voice concerned but trying to hide it. She didn't notice it. 'Hey,' she answered. 'We found the mother.'

'Really, that's great. Where? You want to go and talk to her?'

Brennan swallowed. 'No, we can't. She's dead, Booth. She's been right here in bone storage.'

'Oh,' he just answered, but the simple word meant so much. Oh, that's terrible. That's so unfair, oh. Oh my god. Oh Bones, please don't withdraw, don't blame yourself, don't think it's going to be the same for our child. Oh.

'I'm on my way,' he said then, she nodded and of course he didn't see it but he didn't care, he understood, he knew she needed him and he was already with one foot out the door at the prospect of Brennan needing him any time in the near future.

And not fifteen minutes later he walked into her lab, the place that, of all their places, would always be hers and not theirs. The place where she had felt most at home, except maybe for his apartment in his company, over the last years. The place where she probably felt closest to her mother. The place where her worst fears and nightmares had become reality, and where her dreams and hopes for the future had been formed, almost destroyed, fixed and finally had become reality. It had been here where he had been so uncomfortable at first, knowing it was her domain but not knowing his place in it, feeling it was too clean, too neat and tidy to be anything but fake. A charade. One in which Bones was living, believing every lie it had to offer.

But now, all these years later, he realized it wasn't a charade. It was another reality, one in which the facts could provide comfort, but also the sharp cut of truth was felt every once in a while. A place where the only person to rely on was yourself, the only thing to rely on were facts. And Bones knew that, Booth hadn't at first. Now that he did, he found it to be a reassuring place. It looked like Brennan, everywhere he looked he saw Brennan tidiness, Brennan order and he really loved it. Although the animal in him still yearned to just drive a big tank into the thing, destroy the lab, its meaning and its purpose, just to show her that you didn't really need science. Only now that desire was just that, a desire, no longer a need, because she knew there was more than science. She'd shown him.

Still he knew it was a place she loved and he respected that. He had found his place there, somewhere between acceptance and distance, and it was enough.

'Hey,' a voice greeted him.

'Angela, hey, how are you? You look great, how's the little one?' he said enthusiastically, seeing the young mother back in the lab was both a comfort and a promise for the future.

'He's great, just unbelievable. And I'm great, too. Just dropped in to help Bren with the case. You heard right? Poor thing, her mom has been here all along.'

'Yeah, I heard,' he said.

'You should probably go to her, she's in her office and she hasn't spoken to me since we identified the mother,' Angela warned him. He nodded. 'Thanks, Angela.'

In her office he found her, at her desk, staring at another file.

'Jane Doe?' he whispered, not wanting to startle her.

She looked up at his voice, her eyes void of any emotion. 'Yeah,' she just answered, closing the file. 'Nothing here to help us.'

'We'll get there, Bones,' he said, approaching her sofa and sitting down, his presence enough for her, the distance between them equally important to her now. He had felt her mood as he entered her office. She felt vulnerable, too vulnerable, and she didn't need confirmation of that now. She just needed him close, but not too close. He knew those moments, the moments that were hardest on both of them, the distance heartbreaking but necessary. So he gave her that distance, even though it tore his heart apart.

'At least we know we don't have to search for her mother anymore,' Brennan said, no particular tone to her voice. 'Yeah,' he just answered.

'This is going nowhere, Booth,' she said suddenly, her voice hard. 'This just isn't working.'

'What do you mean?' he said, his voice still soft. 'We'll figure it out, you always do.'

'It's made me weaker, less objective,' she said, her eyes clear but closed. He knew she was just telling herself things, but still, it hurt.

'What?' he asked, hoping she wouldn't be able to say it out loud, hoping she would understand that she was talking shit.

'This, us, the baby,' she said, and her voice wavered. 'It's made me weak, Booth.'

'No, no, no, Bones. Hey, it doesn't make you weak. Come on, you know that. We'll catch the bastard, we always do,' he said, no longer able to stay seated so he stood, approaching her desk, looking her in the eye.

She didn't feel intimidated by his form standing over her but she felt as if she should stand anyway, so she did, leveling with him. She didn't know what to say, so she just looked at him.

He held her gaze and suddenly she sobbed, her walls breaking down, no longer able to resist her own emotions. 'What if we can't do this anymore? What if we ruined our partnership with this?' She dropped her eyes to his chest and his arms came around her, his hands on her back, holding her to him, providing her with another safe haven.

'We ruined nothing, Bones. We couldn't. What we have.. It's ours, it works. It still works,' he tried to comfort her. 'We'll solve this case, like we did all our other cases, and I'll prove it to you. We still work.'

After a few minutes she broke from his embrace. Without another word she exited her office, and he followed her onto the lab platform.

'All right everyone, go over every piece of evidence again, and then again. We're missing something here. If you find anything, anything at all, come find me. Or Booth,' she added. Everyone nodded, no one commenting on the fact that they had already gone over everything, and went back to work.

She walked over to the remains and started her work as well, leaving him helpless as ever between all her scientific instruments and squints. 'I'm.. Gonna go work in your office, if that's ok,' he said. She nodded. 'Yeah, sure. Thanks Booth,' and with a nod he left her to work.

Later that day he started to worry again. Had she eaten? Had she even taken any kind of break all day? He knew her squints hadn't, and even though he admired their passion, he needed her to slow down.

'Bones, do you wanna order something? I could get some of the healthier Thai stuff, or salad, or whatever if you want,' he said to her while he approached her working form. She ignored him.

'Bones, you have to eat,' he said, softly so no one else would hear, and maybe, just maybe she'd forgive him.

She looked up and he saw desperation in her eyes. 'I'm close, Booth.'

He just nodded. 'That's fantastic. I knew you could do it,' and he gave her a little more distance by taking a seat at one of the computers along the side of the platform.

'I found some interesting stuff as well, I'll put it up here for you and there's a file on that desk there,' he pointed. 'And I'm ordering food.'

She didn't respond, and again he didn't take it personal because he knew her.

He ordered the healthy stuff, because even though she wouldn't mind eating Thai again, it wasn't nutritious enough and he worried about her. He put it down on the table on the balcony overlooking the lab, the place where they often observed their family at work, the place where they felt at home and where vulnerability wasn't cliché.

He called down, 'Bones!' and she looked up at him. Sighing, she abandoned her work, noting something on her computer before joining him upstairs.

'Thanks, Booth,' she just said when she saw the Greek salads he had ordered, noting the dressing on hers in cups instead of all over her salad like it was on his. 'Yeah, I guessed you might not want that dressing, you know, you always say it's the most unhealthy stuff in the entire thing,' he explained.

'It is,' she said. 'No burger?'

He chuckled. 'I thought I'd suffer with you today.'

She went quiet, and he immediately regretted his words, even though he didn't really see what he'd said wrong. 'Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that I don't like this, it's great.'

She nodded. 'It is, and it's a lot healthier than Thai or French fries and a burger.'

But still she didn't seem like herself. She was quieter, preoccupied, he couldn't exactly put his finger on it. He had seen her like this before, he realized now. And it had been during the Eames case. Back then he had egotistically put it down to him, his rejection of her, but it had been her fear of the reality she had come face to face with.

'That we weren't.. Together, then, didn't mean you weren't loved,' he said softly after a few minutes of silence.

She knew exactly what he was talking about. 'I felt alone,' she confessed.

'I know,' he said. 'I missed you back then.'

'Yeah,' she said. 'I missed you too.'

'I just didn't know what to do, Bones,' he said, and this time she didn't know what he was talking about, but she didn't really care. There were a number of times in their past to which he could be referring, and she didn't need apologies for any of them. Most of them were her fault anyway.

'I'm exhausted,' he said after they finished their salads. 'You want to continue to work a little longer?' He wasn't really that tired, but he had to try to get her to come home with him.

'Does your back hurt?' she asked him, knowing he had been sitting in her chair most of the day hunched over her desk.

'A little,' he confessed, and there wasn't a lie in that. His back felt tense, nothing that wouldn't fix itself, but still it was uncomfortable.

'I'll come home with you, help you with your back,' she said. 'Maybe you should visit a doctor for it.'

'No, it's fine,' he said. 'Just a pain in the ass sometimes. Let's go Bones, please? I'm really tired.'

He sounded like a whining child, and she had to smile. 'All right, come on,' she said, her mood softened by him. She had been hard on him today, she knew that. But time and time again he seemed to forgive her without a thought, knowing it was her, that sometimes words had been her only protection against getting hurt by others, and it would take time for her inner rationalist to fully learn that with him, she didn't need that protection. Unconditionally, that's how he loved her, and how she loved him right back.

She drove them home, to her place, because home meant where whoever was driving wanted to go. She didn't even give it a thought, they just ended up on her couch, tired and in need of some inner peace.

Suddenly, a thought popped into Booth's head while he was caressing her silken hair, which seemed softer than before.

'Do you want to think about names yet?'

She frowned. 'Names? Already? Booth, I think we should wait with that until I'm at least in my second trimester.'

He nodded. 'Yeah, ok. Sure, you're right.'

'Why,' she asked, 'do you have an idea?'

'Not really, I just want to think about that miracle, you know, enjoy everything without worrying.'

She bowed her head a little. 'I'm sorry I worry so much, about us.'

'Come on, Bones, don't apologize for being a good mom,' he said, poking her shoulder with his finger. 'Don't apologize for being you.'

She smiled because again, he understood.

'So, what about the names?' she asked.

'Now you do want to think about it?' he said, a smile on his face, his arms coming around her to pull her closer.

'Yes,' she just answered. She wanted to think about names. After all, it couldn't hurt and it would be fun, and she could use some fun after today.

'I have a few names I love, yes, but you'll hate them,' he said, a smirk on his face.

'Why? I love Parker as a name,' she said.

'Yeah, but he's named after someone,' Booth countered. 'That wasn't much of a choice.'

'So.. This is kind of new to you as well?' she asked, her voice soft and wavering.

And then realization hit him once more. She needed something of this to be new for him as well. The feeling of being new to this while he knew it all, had seen it all before, made her incredibly insecure.

'You know this isn't anything like it was with Parker, don't you?' he whispered to her, and she turned her head. 'Why?'

'Because with Parker, everything was different. It wasn't planned, but the rest was different. Rebecca and me.. We weren't made for each other. I wanted to marry her, but it wasn't.. It was love, but it was different,' he tried to explain. 'It wouldn't have lasted and I knew that.'

'Why?' she asked again.

'Because, you know, we were young. We would have married for the wrong reasons. Parker was what I loved most about our family. Now, that's you. It has been you for a long time. I love Parker equally, but you know, he's family. You weren't, that wasn't a given, that feeling. You always love you kid, you can't not love them.'

Brennan nodded. 'So this is different.'

'Yeah,' he said, slightly tightening his hold on her. 'It's completely different. I love you like crazy, and I'll love our child like crazy. But I'll always love you. I can't explain it.'

'You know many people say that and don't mean it,' she said softly. 'My dad said I love you a lot, and so did my mother, but in the end they didn't love me enough.'

She stayed strong, for him and for herself, holding back the sob that threatened to escape her. 'They abandoned me.'

The core of her being, bared in front of his eyes, her heart, naked on a platter for him to do with as he pleased. That's what he saw when he met her eyes, when he had intended to just whisper his love to her. But he just couldn't. He couldn't say those words if she believed he was lying.

'I'm not lying,' he just said, and his eyes bore the truth of his words. 'I'm not lying, Bones. I'll stay with you for as long as I can, and for as long as you'll have me. And even if you want me to go, I won't. I couldn't.'

Their conversation had turned serious again, like it had a thousand times over the past days and she didn't care. In the past, serious conversation had had her nervous, seeing things in his eyes she didn't want to see, she wanted to run away from. But now, she truly believed him. He wasn't his father, nor was he hers. His place had been at her side for the past seven years, and it would continue to be for a lot longer.

'Melody,' he whispered after a while. 'Melody Joy Brennan, or Booth, or both.'

Her heart froze. He felt her tense. Did she hate it?

'Melody,' she whispered.

'Bones, something wrong? You don't like it? Ok, we'll pick something else,' he said.

'No, no..' She seemed lost to him, disconnected from him for a few seconds. Then he had her back, and she turned towards him.

'It's a beautiful name.'

'But?' he asked, knowing there was more. 'Tell me, Bones.'

'It's just.. I had a doll named Melody, a long time ago.'

'Oh..' He didn't know what else to say. There were probably memories attached to that doll, to that name, because he had felt her tensing up immediately after he mentioned the name.

'It's ok, Booth,' she said, her hand coming to cover his on her stomach. 'I had her with me when I was locked in that car trunk, after I broke a dish. She got me through that.'

'I.. I didn't know you had dolls,' Booth said, it was all he could think of.

'A few, yes,' she answered seriously. 'Melody looked like a friend of mine. That's why I kept her. I was a teenager, but that doll just.. She kept me going, you know, when things got bad.'

Booth nodded. 'Yeah, I get it.. I'm sorry for picking that name.'

'No, actually, it's beautiful,' she said, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. 'It just reminds me of some bad times, that's all.'

'Yeah, but we can replace those memories,' Booth said into her hair. 'You know, make new ones, good ones with our baby.'

'It will always remind me of those days,' she said, her voice sad.

'Ok, then we'll find another beautiful name,' he said.

'Booth, it's a wonderful name. And it'll just remind me how lucky I am, and to have a little.. Faith in life, I suppose. If we have a girl, I would love to call her that.'

We. She'd said, if we have a little girl. Not if I have a little girl, no, we. His heart ached.

'We'll have a little girl, Bones. I know it. A beautiful, sweet, tiny little baby girl.' She smiled up at him, her eyes calmer than before. 'A baby, Booth.'

'I know,' he whispered back, and their lips met in a sweet, soft, reassuring and loving kiss that meant so much to both of them that they didn't need words anymore. The love was there, right there on his lips, in her breath, between their hands softly clasping each other, sealing their fate once more.

The next morning found them in her bed, where they had moved to later in the evening, where she had magically fixed his back once more, where he had very, very slowly driven her crazy to show his gratitude. For everything.

When she awoke, she knew he was still asleep. Her body was close to his, lying on her side with her hand on his abdomen she felt his even breaths hit the skin of her cheek. He was lying on his back, face turned towards her, his grip on her loosened in his sleep but his body still very much aware of her presence, his arm under her head and his other hand covering hers on his belly. Lying there, she felt peaceful. In those moments, those precious moments where she didn't have to talk to him, explain her feelings, she felt even more lucky and grateful for their situation. Of course she knew talking about her inner conflicts was important and it was just a way of him trying to help her when he asked her to talk about stuff, but she wasn't comfortable with her own explanatory skills to make sure she wouldn't hurt his feelings. That's why those moments, when she was awake but he was still far away, in a deep sleep, were so very beautiful to her. She could laugh, cry, mourn, celebrate and hope without hurting his feelings, without him even knowing.

But soon her mind called for him to join her in her train of thoughts. She needed him awake, needed him to talk to her, explain, rationalize even. A few days ago she had feared the loss of her individuality to this need, the need for him, but soon she had realized she hadn't lost anything. She had always needed his input, wanted his opinion. She was still her, even more so with him as close to her as possible.

And as the sun rose, its rays found their way into her home and onto their faces, and as they hit Booth's lids he opened them and he was immediately lost in her eyes, her faith, her promises.

The sun rises, two plus two equals four. And life is good again. Life is very good.


	12. Doubt

Uncharted Lands

12. Doubt

The body of the mother being found gave Temperance Brennan hope. She had something to work on, something to hold onto, something to prove to her that she was still a brilliant scientist.

So in the next two days, all she did was work. Like a maniac, like Temperance Brennan, she worked all day long. And then a little.

The first night she had actually gone home without Booth pressuring her. She had left the lab at around ten in the evening and found Booth at her place, waiting for her.

The next evening however, he was also waiting for her, hoping she'd keep her promise to come home, but she didn't.

He texted her two times: Are you ok?

She answered: yes.

Are you coming home soon? I miss you.

She answered: Soon, I hope. Just want to crack this case.

And at 1 past midnight he finally lost it.

She still wasn't home and he had texted her again but had gotten no answer.

So he drove to the lab, worried, angry. He found her bowed over the remains of the little girl once more, her position looking as if it hurt, but her face concentrated and determined.

'Bones.'

His voice didn't sound angry, just soft, and it didn't startle her.

'Booth. What time is it?' she asked, but she continued her work.

'Guess.'

Now, anger did find its way into his words and she looked up, her face confused. 'What? Why?'

'Because maybe then you'll understand why I was worried sick waiting for you to come home, like you promised,' he spat, and he hadn't meant to spat it but he did and it unnerved Brennan. She didn't like to be spat to.

'Maybe I'm just not ready to come home to you, Booth. Maybe I'm not good at keeping promises regarding work. Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do.'

Her words hurt him immensely, and defeat showed on his face as she regretted her words instantly. However, pride kept her from apologizing as her words sunk in to him.

'It's one in the morning, for Gods sake,' he whispered, turned around and started to walk away. He needed space.

One in the morning? That late? Fear crept into her heart as she realized how normal it had been for him to be worried. She hadn't kept track of time and submerged in her work she hadn't noticed the hours pass as swiftly as they had.

'Booth..' she called after him, softly, and he turned, hurt still visible in his eyes. 'Yeah?'

'I'm.. I'm nearly finished here, we can go home after that?'

It wasn't really a question, but she needed his approval anyway. He didn't give it, he just turned and resumed his walk down the platform stairs to a bench alongside the lab platform.

She followed him, removing her gloves as she went. 'Booth! I'm.. I'm sorry.'

Now he turned, for real, and his demeanor softened at the sight of her. She looked shocked, surprised by the time, tired, desperate for a break in the case and desperate for his understanding.

'It's ok,' he said, not walking towards her as she stood a few feet away but just out of reach. 'Time flies when you're having fun.'

It wasn't meant to be mean but she didn't like his comment. 'I'm just trying to solve this, Booth. She has the answer somewhere. I just need to look more closely.'

'And tomorrow you can. Just.. You need to take care of yourself, Bones. Have you even eaten? I know you skipped dinner yesterday. Look, I'm trying to give you some space, here, but I can't.. watch you not eat or sleep when I know you need it. Come on, let's go home and tomorrow we can start with a clear mind, ok?'

After a few seconds and a pleading look from her which went unanswered by him, she agreed. She put the remains away and followed him to his car.

Her feet suddenly felt like they weighed a ton and her eyelids wouldn't stay open. During the short ride to his place she barely stayed awake. She realized somewhere he changed directions at the last moment to get her to the closest bed, his bed, and when he pulled into his parking space she managed to open her eyes. 'Let's get you to bed,' he said, and there wasn't a trace of hardness, blame or anger in his voice. She nodded, got out of the car and let him wrap his arm around her waist, guide her up the stairs and into his apartment, and soon she felt rather than saw his bed under her. She removed her coat, jacket, shirt and pants and got into the bed as soon as she could.

When he joined her a little while later he saw her lying in his bed, under the covers, her eyes closed and her face peaceful. 'I don't care how much you'll hate me for doing this, but I'm never letting you work this late again, Bones,' he warned her softly, convinced she was already asleep. She wasn't.

'I don't care how much you think you need to prove your brilliance, or how much you feel you need to work to make up for us being together, it's not gonna happen. I love you,' he said, and she opened her eyes because pretending to be asleep felt utterly wrong.

'I won't hate you, I love you,' she managed, together with a tiny smile, and she felt his lips on her forehead just as she fell asleep. She had been unfair to him today. But he didn't care as long as she was ok. And ok she was, especially now that she was back safely in his arms, in his bed, in their home.

The next morning she woke very early to an empty bed.

And even though she knew she shouldn't feel abandoned, or even fear that he might consider leaving her without a word, she panicked a little.

It wasn't even because he wasn't there. But the bed was cold next to her, and she didn't hear a sound anywhere else in his apartment.

Slowly she got up out of bed and walked into his bathroom first, then his living room to check where he was.

She found him in a chair, asleep, in front of the window overlooking the street. She knew it was where he thought, where he could separate reality from fantasy, irrational from rational.

Why had he left her side, without her knowing, to find this place, the place he only found when he had something on his mind that needed fixing?

The wooden floor cracked under her feet and he awoke immediately, his head turning in her direction, finding the source of the unknown noise.

'Bones.'

He seemed relieved, but something in his eyes alarmed her. He had his guard up.

'What's wrong?' she asked cautiously.

'Nothing,' he answered. 'Just need to think.'

'Did I say something wrong?' she asked again, still in the doorframe, a frown on her face and her mind racing. What had she done to make him this sad, angry, whatever he was?

'No, nothing, it's fine. I just need some time, you know, to think,' he brushed her off.

'About what?' she insisted.

He sighed. 'Just stuff.'

She knew she should leave, she wouldn't get anywhere with him if he wasn't planning on talking to her, and clearly his mind was set. But she couldn't leave him. She needed to know.

'I'm sorry I didn't call you, I'll keep a closer eye on the clock next time,' she tried.

'You know, it's not even that,' he said, his voice suddenly raised. 'I'm not even angry about that, about you being so damned late and not telling me. It's not even about that.'

'Then what is it about?' she continued, knowing she would most likely get to hear it now, although maybe not in the tone she wanted.

'It's about you being so damned confusing. I don't know what to do, Bones. I thought we had something going here. You know, you, me, living wherever we feel best, you know, together. And then you tell me you're not ready? Now? And you expect me to just forget that?'

She couldn't even remember when she said it. 'Did I say that?' she asked softly, her voice nearly a whisper.

'Yeah, you said that. You said you weren't ready to come home to me. That I didn't know you as well as I thought I did. That's what you said, Bones.'

She went quiet and for a second, she was frozen. Then, she turned without another word and went back to his bed, just to think, to be alone.

At first, he didn't follow. He sat in his chair, hands in his hair. What was he supposed to do? He wanted to live with her, wanted to share his life with her. And she wanted the same, he knew it. He was absolutely positive. Only now she told him that she didn't know, that she wasn't sure what she wanted or how she wanted this to go? He didn't believe it was hormones speaking, she had sounded too sure of herself. Sure, people say stupid things when they're angry. But not Bones.

In his bed, her pillow smelled like Booth. The blanket smelled like Booth. Her shirt, his shirt, into which she had changed somewhere during the night, smelled like Booth. And she felt sick. Had she said those words to him? She had been tired, so tired of working the case with no results whatsoever, that she might have said things she didn't mean. But she usually didn't do that. She was good at controlling herself, but seemingly, she had said things to him she didn't mean. At all. She wanted to live with him, she loved being around him. Had she really said those terrible things?

After a few minutes he stood. He wanted to talk to her. Even though it was still very early in the morning, this needed to be resolved.

So he moved through his apartment to find her sitting in his bed, knees pulled up, her eyes puffy with unshed tears. When she heard him entering, she looked up and he saw her eyes. Confused. Hurt, by him and by herself.

And his resolve crumbled. He wasn't angry at her, how could he be. 'Hey,' he whispered and moved to sit next to her. 'I'm sorry, I know you didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry.'

'No,' she said, her voice wavering. 'I don't remember saying it, Booth, I don't remember. I didn't mean to say anything like that. I'm just so angry.'

'Angry?' he asked, his voice still soft, his brain racing. Angry at him?

'Because of the case, you know we're not getting anywhere. It should have been solved by now, Booth.'

'You'll solve it, you always do,' he tried reassuring her but he knew only evidence would make her more comfortable on that front.

'I just never meant to hurt you,' she whispered back and now her tears started falling, and her body gravitated slightly towards him, finding comfort and warmth.

'I know,' he said. 'It's just.. It was unexpected. And you're pretty hard to read sometimes.'

'I want to live with you,' she said, her voice muffled by his shirt as his arms came around her to hold her close to him, offering what she needed. 'I want to live with you and I want to come home to you. I just get submerged in my work, and even though it's scientifically impossible, time seems to move faster when I work.'

'I know,' he soothed. 'It's ok. And if you didn't want to live with me it's ok too, you know, we can fix it. Work up to it, or whatever. If you need something, just tell me, don't be scared to tell me what you want, just.. Explain why, ok? It was just really unexpected,' he repeated. She nodded. 'I understand.'

But she wanted to live with him. More than he knew. And she wanted to come home to him, to a bed already warm, arms always open for her, someone to talk to about whatever was on her mind at any moment. She hadn't had something like this before, and now she had it, she didn't want to let it go ever again. Anger, exhaustion and pressure had lead her to say things she never wanted to say, she didn't even mean.

He was relieved she understood him, because even though he had never meant to burden her with his own doubts, he had been quite convinced she really wasn't ready. Because he too felt the pressure of something huge about to change their lives chasing them through the days, always on both their minds, and they didn't even know what they really were to each other. Soul mates? She didn't believe in soul mates. Two halves to a whole? Maybe, if you believed Plato. Partners, that was for sure. Best friends. Mother and father. Two people who without the other, where still great individuals, but together they were invincible. Complete. And yet again, there it was. Their child would be born in less than eight months. That was all the time they had to find out how to do everything, where to live, how to live. And while there was no doubt in his mind that they would make it work, it was hard for him to know if she felt the same.

But she did. With all her heart she believed this was the right thing, this was their life and she loved every second of it.

After a few moments of just being in his arms, calming, taking strength from him, she disentangled herself. He looked at her and he saw her eyes, so very blue, so open for him to read. He could see a battle going on inside her head and he asked her about it.

'What's on your mind?'

She shrugged. 'Just baby stuff.'

'Tell me.'

She stayed silent at first, and he nudged her with his shoulder. 'Hey, it's a partner thing.'

She smiled. 'Ok.'

It wasn't a partner thing and she knew it, she wasn't a fool but still it gave her comfort. It took away an edge, and she valued his opinion very highly, especially on baby stuff.

'Are you.. Are you apprehensive, about the baby?' she asked slowly.

He looked at her. Apprehensive?

'No, Bones, not at all,' he said softly and solemnly. 'I love it. I can't wait.'

'But.. Our lives have changed in so many ways, by something we didn't even plan. Don't you regret that?'

'No,' he answered again, immediately. 'It was unexpected, yeah, but I've thought about it and I want it.'

She nodded, accepting his answer. 'Ok.'

'Are you?' he asked.

'What?'

'Apprehensive?' he clarified, and a small frown appeared on her forehead.

'I find that I feel.. Rushed by the circumstances, but no, I'm not apprehensive. I thought I would be,' she answered. 'But I'm not. Our whole lives are about to change but I'm ready.'

'Our whole lives have changed already,' he whispered and she turned her head to face him, only to find him looking down at her, his face very close. 'Yeah, they have,' she answered and her lips closed the distance to his, meeting in a soft kiss that made her shiver.

When his lips left hers, she opened her eyes to find him looking at her, his smile on his face and in his eyes. 'Does that mean that.. We're going to see our baby soon? Doctor's appointment?'

She cocked her head to the side. 'Doctor's appointment? What am I going to introduce you as? My boyfriend?'

He smiled even wider. 'Hell yeah.'

'No way. Partner, maybe.'

She tried to sound serious but the smile in her eyes gave her away. He gave her a playful push to her shoulder and she laughed as she let herself fall down. She rolled onto her stomach and looked at him, her face serious.

'Can you imagine when our childe is too big for me to do this?'

He nodded. 'Yep.'

'You've seen it happen, Booth. You've been here before. That's an unfair advantage.'

'Unfair advantage?' he laughed, seeing the spark back in her eyes. He rolled towards her until he was lying half on top of her, his head between her neck and shoulders. 'Our baby is growing inside of you. I'd say that's the unfair advantage.'

'All the hard work is down to us women. It shows that men are overall less capable of caring for something over an extended period of time.'

He didn't answer because he knew when he was trapped. Instead, he started kissing a trail from her earlobe down to the neckline of his shirt, softly nipping her skin, tasting her. She gasped softly and he pressed his hips into her buttocks, making her aware of his growing erection.

She arched her back, pushing her curvy body up into his, and she was rewarded with a groan from him. He pulled on the shirt she was wearing and somehow they removed it without changing position. He unclasped her bra, which she hadn't removed when she had barely gotten into bed from exhaustion, and soon it joined her shirt on the floor. He changed his position and she felt his hot lips and tip of his tongue trail a path from her shoulder blades to her spine and downwards, further and further until he met her panties and then move back up. She squirmed under him, trying to direct his tongue, trying to feel his skin with her hands but her position making it impossible.

In the end she gave up trying to feel his chest with her hands, and she surrendered herself to his touches. She lay her head down on the pillow and closed her eyes at the feelings he was creating. A turmoil of emotions ran through her body, varying from love to sadness and finally her hand reached for his face, stopping him mid-track.

'I never meant to hurt you,' she said, meeting his eyes with her own, making sure he understood and believed her before she lay back down again. He just nodded and kissed her cheek, the corner of her mouth and started back on his path on her back.

The heat was almost unbearable as she felt him undo his jogging pants and suddenly she felt his naked skin on hers. She wanted to turn around, make it easier for them to do what they were about to, but he put a hand on her shoulders, and frankly she didn't mind. Her body was still a little tired from all the work she had done earlier, and she hadn't eaten much. Even though it didn't diminish her need for the man in bed with her, it did make her feel weak, and their position didn't require her to sit up or anything. So even though she needed him like crazy, and he couldn't be close enough to her, she was grateful for their position and she made a note to herself to never ever eat this little or work this hard ever again.

Then she felt him again, so close, and without any guidance he found her entrance with his fingers first, softly stroking her, feeling her and loving her before moving over her to bury his nose in her hair and his cock inside of her.

She gasped at their connection, he moaned. 'Jesus,' she whispered, and he didn't have the willpower to break their spell and comment on her religion. She arched her back again and he started a rhythm, and very soon they were both moaning and whispering endearments.

Brennan had never thought of herself as a romantic. Far from it, in fact. But this man had changed everything about that. Here she was, being taken by him, wanting him to take her, whispering her apologies and her love to him, telling him she wanted to live with him, that she would never want to live anywhere or with anyone but with him, in his home.

But it were his words of love, and the truth she heard in his voice that catapulted her over the edge without warning. 'Oh God!' she called and with a smile and a kiss he whispered at her to let go, to let go together. And they did, they let go, together, and wave after wave crashed over her and time after time she kept whispering at her, he kept whispering at him, and together they fell limply onto his bed.

As she crawled under the covers just a little further, she felt his arm sneak around her and his lips on her ear. 'Let's.. Let's live together,' he whispered in her ear.

A year ago, a week ago, even a day ago Brennan would have said no. She would have been too scared.

But today, right this minute, this second she managed a nod. 'Ok.'

She didn't see the smile that lit up his face. 'Really? Ok?'

'Yeah,' she said, covering his arm with hers, snuggling closer to him. 'Really.'

Because somewhere down the road she had changed. Sometime during the past seven years she had changed from someone who couldn't trust others with her heart, because she was too afraid of getting heartbroken again, to someone who was more than willing to risk a little heartbreak for the happiness she knew she could have. Right now, she felt as if she was a bird, flying for the first time. No real direction, no goal, no guarantees of a safe landing. Just the air, and her heart, keeping her afloat and sending her in the right direction.

Behind her, Booth was in heaven. She wanted to live with him. One small step for her.. One giant leap for them, a family. He sighed, kissed her bare shoulder and relaxed completely, feeling happier than he ever had. It had taken so many ups and downs to get here, but now he knew he would endure it all again, and more if he had to, to stay with her. Anything to stay with her, to keep this going. Because for the past seven years, his life had fully depended on her, but from now on, his heart fully depended on her as well.

**[Author's note: Thanks to everyone who keeps reading this, and who keeps reviewing. I love you all and I really appreciate the kind words. It helps a lot.]**


	13. Beginnings

**[Author's note: 1: Sorry so sorry for posting this almost 2 weeks after my last chapter. 2: Can't wait for Bones s7. 3: Thanks everyone who is still reading this. Tell me if you're liking where it's going!**

Uncharted Lands

13. Beginnings.

"_No matter what the end is, my life began with you."_

She wanted to live with him. She really did.

He couldn't believe it, the night she said it, or the next morning. Or the day after, or even the week after.

He hadn't mentioned it because he was scared, did she really want to live with him? Why hadn't she said anything? Had she changed her mind? His mind had been racing constantly, especially when around her, and he had become impatient. It had been eight days and he couldn't wait any longer.

It was early morning and he had been awake for a while, watching her and guarding her peaceful sleep.

'Let's live here,' he whispered. 'Let's just do it. Let's move all my stuff in here, Parker will love the pool. Let's do it today, Bones.'

She was still asleep but she heard him nonetheless, a frown on her forehead showing her sleeping mind had heard but not understood him.

Yesterday they had finally closed the case, finally caught the guy who killed both the woman and her child. It had been an ex-lover of the deceased woman and Brennan had taken it hard, instantly doubting everything they had. 'You see? There are no happy endings, not for anyone,' she had told him, but even though she had requested time alone he hadn't left her. Not for a second had he left her side, they would have gotten quite intoxicated if Booth had taken her to the Founding Fathers instead of her home, and for exactly that reason he had passed up on a chance to drink and forget. She was his life now, she deserved better and so he had made them tea, he had kissed her tears and pain away and finally she had accepted his presence, remembering that this was Booth, one of the most loyal men on the planet.

And so they had ended up in her bed, together, her arms around him like he was her lifeline and his arms around her like she was his, neither wanting nor needing to let go.

A small movement interrupted his musings, bringing his attention from the night before back to the present. He focussed his gaze on her face and found her blue eyes staring at him, her eyes still a little puffy from her crying the night before. He smiled and his hand softly squeezed hers. 'Good morning.'

'Morning. Were you talking to someone?' she asked, her voice still think with sleep. 'I thought I.. I heard something.'

'No, no.. I was talking to you actually. I'm sorry I woke you.'

She frowned. 'Booth, it's very illogical to talk to someone who is asleep, because the chance of them hearing you is very small. If you wanted to talk to me you should have woken me up.'

He kissed her shoulder. 'No way. Anyway, it was nothing I can't say again.'

She rolled from her back onto her side, facing him. 'What was it?'

He sighed.

'Do you still want to live with me? I mean, we haven't talked about it, and you haven't mentioned it..'

She pulled herself up a little, supporting herself on her elbow, looking at him from higher ground.

'Yes, I would like that very much,' she said softly. 'I thought maybe you didn't want to anymore. Or that you hadn't meant right now. You know, that it was for the future.'

He shook his head. 'If you think it's too soon we can wait, but I don't think we have to, I don't want to.'

She smiled. 'Then yes, I'd like very much to live with you, Booth.'

'Yeah?' his face lit up again like the night she told him she was pregnant. 'You really want that?'

Her face broke into a smile as well. 'Yeah. Let's do it.'

'Today?' he asked. 'Come on Bones, let's do it today. Let's move everything in here.'

'You want to live here?' she asked, not in any particular tone. 'I assumed we would have to acquire a new residence, like Angela and Hodgins. My apartment is big enough, however I would assume you'd see it as an attack on your virility if we live here.'

'Attack on my virility? No, Bones, I love your place, and Parker loves it too.. Look, if you don't want to live here that's ok, we'll get a new place. But I'm fine with living here.'

She nodded. 'I like it here too. And there are enough rooms, I mean, it's designed to hold a family..'

Sadness found its way into her eyes for a second and he reached out for her. 'Hey, you have a family. You have two, in fact.'

She nodded into his chest. 'Yeah. Thanks, Booth.'

They slept in for a little while before Brennan finally sat up.

'Booth.. Are you sure you want to live here? Give up your own place already? I mean.. You don't have to, we can wait if you're not sure..'

He sat up with her on the edge of the bed.

'Hey. Stop it. I want to live with you.'

His hand squeezed her knee softly before he got up. 'I'm going to take a shower.'

She smiled at his silent invitation and nodded without answering.

Even though making love in the shower wasn't the most practical or easy activity, they ended up under the hot stream, her back flush against the wall. One of her legs was wrapped around his hips and his face was buried in the crook of her neck, softly whispering to her while their lower bodies were moving as one. His words were as arousing to her as his movements, and every word, like every thrust of his lower body sent a shiver through her entire being.

He didn't even know what he was whispering and he didn't care. She caught some of his words, like 'love,' 'home' and 'baby', and sometimes sentences like 'I only ever want to be where you are', but most of all she heard his commitment and his love in his voice.

And in the end it weren't his enchanting words that catapulted her off the edge, it was his voice. The soft but strong tone in which he spoke of his feelings for her made her lose her mind in his arms, made her want to free fall off the highest cliff only to be caught by him, by his arms, by his love.

After their intense lovemaking they showered for real, and half an hour later they were finally ready for breakfast. He offered to prepare something but she wanted to do it herself, and he understood her hidden meaning, this was still her house, her kitchen, where she felt safest being in charge.

So they ate together, at her table, croissants, cheese and coffee, and his carefree jokes and laughter inspired and comforted her and in no time they were both holding their bellies with laughter.

Suddenly, in between jokes, Brennan's face turned serious. 'Do we have to work today?'

'Probably collecting and handing over evidence, nothing that can't wait a day. Come on Bones, it's Saturday, relax.'

She frowned. 'Don't you have Parker over for the weekend?'

He shook his head. 'No, not this time. Captain Fantastic took them to Disneyland or whatever, anyway, Parker wasn't able to come. He told me sorry, though.'

'Ok,' Brennan simply stated. 'Is his name really Fantastic? I assume his first name isn't Captain.'

'No, of course not,' Booth just answered, but his insides warmed again at her innocence and the pure beauty of her brain.

'So.. You want to move in here today?' she asked, her eyes focussed on her hands.

'Yeah,' he said, looking at her, demanding her with his eyes to meet him. She did, and although he saw slight fear and confusion, he also saw love and certainty. She wanted this as well.

'I'll have to make some room,' she said. 'And I'll have to clear out the study and guestroom.'

'We can do it together,' Booth said. 'And then, we can get some of my stuff and move it in here.'

'I don't have any spare closet space,' Brennan warned. 'I'll have to rearrange.'

'Yeah, you do that, I'll get started in your office,' Booth answered.

'It's not an office,' Brennan corrected.

'It isn't a study either,' he countered and she smiled. 'It's Parker's room.'

Booth smiled back and nodded. 'And he'll love it.'

And so they started, Brennan in her bedroom trying to find some space for Booth's clothes and other belongings, while he started moving her books to the shelves in her living room. They were half empty, and he could easily fit everything in her living room. A few times he cast a glance into her bedroom, and he saw her surrounded by her clothes and shoes, rearranging everything and every time he looked she was one hundred percent committed to her task. A new part of her life was about to begin.

After a little while she appeared in the doorway of her office room. 'I've got three quarters of a closed and a drawer in my nightstand for you,' she announced with pride. He had just finished moving the last of her stuff out of the room and it looked and sounded empty. 'Great, do you want to fill that up first or shall we go shopping?'

'Shopping?' she asked, a frown on her forehead. 'Why?'

'We need a new bed for Parker,' Booth answered.

'Can't you move the old one from your place in here?' Brennan asked. 'He knows that bed, it's his bed.'

'No, he's been whining to get one of those car-shaped beds for ages, and I really want to get him one of those,' Booth said. 'And this is kind of a good excuse, right? And it'll be a surprise.'

Brennan nodded. 'You're a good father, Booth.'

He just smiled his thanks and touched his hand to her arm, feeling their spark stronger than ever. 'Let's do this.'

They argued about paying for the bed, they argued about the colour. They argued about the means of transportation, they argued about payment again and they argued about who was going to put it together, but in the end, they ended up with a big, red, Ferrari-shaped bed in Parker's new room, paid for by Temperance and put together by Booth. Compromises had been made but in the end they both fell down with a sigh on the first new item in their home, exhausted, but very happy indeed.

By then, it was three in the afternoon and they hadn't had much to eat, so Booth left Brennan on Parker's new bed to fix her something to eat. He surprised her with cheese and cucumber sandwiches, milk and fruit, all healthy stuff she loved and hadn't expected. They christened the bed not in the usual way, but with a picnic, eating and laughing together, Brennan leaning against the headboard and Booth lying on his stomach close to her, his head resting on her legs.

'I like this,' she admitted after a while. 'It feels weird, you know, new, but good.'

'It does,' he admitted.

'I thought I'd be more apprehensive once we had made the decision,' she continued, her eyes on his, ready to share her entire life with him. 'But I find I'm not apprehensive at all.'

'It's big,' Booth said. 'But I'm glad you're all right with it.'

'Yeah, it's big,' she repeated. 'You think God had this in mind when he took Vincent?'

'Now you wanna talk about God?' Booth asked, incredulous and not really in the mood for her blasphemy.

'Well, do you?' she asked. 'Do you think this happened because God wanted it to?'

'I don't know,' he answered. 'I don't know but I'm really glad it's happening.'

Brennan nodded. 'Me too.'

And she was. Inside her head, a familiar voice was still trying to convince her: Don't do it. Don't let him get too close. But the voice was getting softer and softer and she could barely hear it anymore, because another voice was getting louder and louder, and it was the voice of her heart, the one she had suppressed for too long, calling to her, it's ok. It's ok to be happy. And she believed that voice now more than ever, because she felt better than she ever had. She was truly happy, for the first time since her parents left and perhaps for the first time in her life, she felt like the world couldn't get better. Yes, she was scared, and yes it was still unfamiliar and difficult for her to let go like this, because still, losing so much control over personal happiness was.. Still frightening but no longer unbearable.

Booth saw it. He saw the change in her, every minute they spent together he saw her relax a little more, the blue in her eyes get a little bluer, a little more confident in this new situation. They were living together. Of course, it was still a lousy excuse to spend every second together, but soon his clothes and other belongings would find their way into her cupboard and onto her shelves, and their houses would merge into one, like their bodies had. Their belongings would still be his and hers separately, but together they would fill their home, they would be together as one, like their owners.

After their late lunch he drove with her to his place to pack some clothes. He took a little of everything, all his underwear and pyjamas because he was certain of one thing: He wouldn't need those anymore here. From now on her bed was theirs, he wouldn't spend another night in someone else's bed, not even his own.

She observed him while he was packing, seeing the speed and accuracy in his movements, determined, happy, wanting to do this as fast as possible. She felt it too, a need to get his stuff into her bedroom as quickly as was humanly possible, because even though it was real, that would be physical evidence.

So not half an hour later they had his car full of stuff, clothes, but also books, CD's, DVD's, stuff from work and a few framed photos, the ones he valued the most. He had selected the items he supposed he would need first, because he 'damned right didn't want to have to go back every minute to get something I need because I want to be with you.' She accepted this without any argument and she drove him back to her place, a smile plastered to her face the whole way. Soon, his clothes would be on her bed and he wouldn't be picking them up in the morning to wash them at his place. He would be leaving them there, for her to pick up, for her to clean and she found that even though she resented the term house wife, she wanted to be one for him.

He moved most of his stuff upstairs while she directed him, and he followed every order. Once he had all his clothes in her bedroom, he looked at her standing in the doorway, observing him.

'Can I.. Just, you know, put them somewhere?'

'Yeah, I have a drawer in the nightstand for you and some space over there,' she pointed to a cupboard against the wall. He nodded. 'Okay. You wanna help me?'

'I'll get started on your CD collection, I have them in alphabetic order sorted by artist and album name, so that will take a while,' she said matter-of-factly. He smiled. 'Ok. You do that.

He peeked in her cupboard to see how she arranged her clothes, and he tried to copy it as closely as possible, finding he liked her order and because it was part of his life now, he felt he had to at least try and keep it this way for as long as he could. Then, he opened her nightstand drawer, meant for some of his underwear and socks.

It was almost completely empty, there was only one object remaining: Her diary.

He saw a leather covered notebook, visibly used, with a lock but it wasn't locked. For a split second he wanted to open it and read. But he didn't, and he moved to put it on the bed until he was finished.

A small piece of torn paper fell from the pages.

It fell to her carpet, bottom down, and he could see the words written on it but he couldn't discern them. The paper looked dirty, muddy almost and he frowned, not knowing why she would keep something like that, least of all in her diary.

'Bones,' he called, not wanting to invade her privacy in any way. 'Where do you want me to put your diary?'

'Just put it in the top drawer,' she called back, but she didn't come to see what he was up to. He smiled at the trust she gave him, but still, even though curiosity killed the cat he needed to see. He picked up the piece of paper and tried to read the words, which were slightly faded and hard to read, written with erratic handwriting. It was, however, undoubtedly her handwriting.

_Booth, I know you tried. I hope heaven exists so I can see you again._

That was it. Nothing else.

A frown formed between his eyes. His brain was racing. When had she written this? What did it mean? Why had she kept it, why was it all dirty and written on a torn piece of paper?

With a will of its own, his body got up and his legs transported him to her living room. There he found her, on the floor, arranging CD's.

She didn't notice him at first, and when she did, she jumped a little. 'Booth.'

He didn't say anything, he just handed her the piece of paper. She took it and he saw realization creep into her eyes. 'Oh..'

He just looked at her, begging with his eyes for an explanation, because he just didn't understand.

'That.. Give me that,' she said, reaching for the paper and taking it from his

hand. A blush crept onto her cheeks. 'Booth..'

He handed it to her, without a second thought, because if she didn't want him to know he would wait. To him all it was was a confirmation of her love, although he didn't understand when or why she had written it, it was her.

He stood behind her while she remained seated on the dark wooden floor. After a few minutes she fully turned to face him.

'I.. I wrote this when I was buried alive,' she told him. She knew she didn't have to talk about it if she didn't want to, but she wanted to. He needed to know.

'Hodgins wrote something to Angela, and I felt I had to write this to you. I didn't have much time.'

He just looked at her, his eyes warm and reaching out to her. 'Thanks, Bones,' he said, and he meant every word of it. 'Thanks.'

She nodded. 'I.. I wanted you to know that I didn't blame you, you know, if you were too late. You tried so hard, I just knew.'

'I knew you were still alive,' he said, and his wavering voice hit her with a wave of sadness and gratitude to be alive. 'I knew you were out there, and I.. I don't know what I would have done if we were too late, Bones,' he admitted and she saw how it cost him to admit that. 'I would have been so lost.'

She nodded. 'I knew you were trying, and I knew you wouldn't give up. But I was afraid you might not get there in time. So I wrote that.'

'Why did you keep it?' he asked, sitting down next to her on the floor, levelling with her and relaxing into their conversation.

'I don't know,' she shrugged. 'it was.. I guess it was a reminder that I knew, even back then.'

'I knew, too,' he said. 'But I didn't know you knew.'

'I was so afraid,' she said and she leaned into him. He pulled her into his arms and cradled her like he had when he had pulled her from the sand.

'Me too, baby. Me too, so damn scared. You couldn't die. I would've lost it.'

'I didn't want to die,' she said. 'There were many times in my life when I would have given my life without question, or when I didn't care what happened, but then, I really wanted to live.'

'You mean that?' he asked. 'You didn't care whether you lived or died at times?'

'No,' she said. 'At times I really didn't care.'

'I'm so sorry,' he just said, kissing her hair and holding her close, feeling her life vibrating, her will to live strong within her, and he thought about what must have happened to her to make her lose that.

After another few minutes she spoke again. 'I don't feel that now, Booth. I want to live. For a very long time.'

He nodded. 'I know,' he said. 'That's the past, Bones.'

She nodded too, and relaxed into his embrace a little bit more, feeling strong and independent even though she was once again in his arms. And at that moment she realized something once more.

She realized that life didn't scare her anymore.

A long time ago, Avalon Harmonia had made her realize that life really did scare her. And that there was a question that she didn't dare to ask. That question hadn't been how anyone could love her, but it had been how Booth could love her. She had felt it back then, known it, known her own feelings for him, and she had felt and seen and heard those feelings reflected in everything he did, everything he said and every move he had made even before his coma dream and after. And today, all her questions seemed to be answered. Life wasn't scary anymore. Life without relationships had never been scary, but now, life with love was everything she wanted. She sighed.

'What?' Booth asked softly.

'One plus one equals two,' she whispered and he remembered their conversation immediately.

'You put sugar in your coffee and it tastes sweet.'

She nodded. 'Life is very good, Booth.'

'Yeah, it is,' he affirmed, and together they sat on her wooden floor, the piece of paper still in her fingers, the letters smudged but not faded, unlike her fears which had melted like ice on a hot summers day, only a summers day had lasted almost seven years. Neither cared and neither bothered to talk about it any more, because they had been through enough for one day, and they were content knowing that from this day forward they would live in one house, cook in one kitchen, shower in one bathroom and sleep in one bed, and because that was enough.

It was in moments like these that Temperance Brennan forgot about all her heartache, every bad memory seemed to be less hurtful and every rainy day seemed less clouded. She could do this. A life filled with love, it was for her too. Not just for everyone else. If she wanted it, and she fought for it, it was hers.

Because _no matter what they tell you, what you believe is true. That's all that matters now, no matter what._


	14. A Gamble

**[A/N: First of all. I'm SO sorry for just leaving this story hanging like I did. Secondly, I'm still loving Bones but the hiatus is taking a little too long for my liking. Thirdly a very late congrats to Emily Deschanel and her son, she's beautiful and I'm thinking he has to be the cutest baby ever. Fourthly. I can't wait for the B&B baby! But I have to inform you that I'm taking my own direction in this story. It's not following the Bones timeline any more if it ever has.**

**Enjoy!**

Uncharted Lands

14. A Gamble.

Exactly one week later Booth was waiting anxiously for Brennan to come home.

Their arrangement was going quite well, and they had only had one fight all week. It had concerned the new TV he'd bought her, and she'd been so mad at him that she had spent the night at the lab. He had been worried but he had let her, not wanting to push her, but not wanting to give in either. That one time had been last night.

But here he was. He had just gotten back from an afternoon at the mall, alone, and he'd bought her something. Something he wasn't sure she'd be able to accept. But he had to try.

He knew it was dangerous and he knew he was putting his still weak heart on the line again, and that this time it wasn't just going to be about rejecting marriage if she said no. It would be about rejecting him, just like Hannah had rejected him when he had proposed to her. But he couldn't stop himself. It was the only way he knew how to show her what she meant to him, what she meant to his existence.

So here he was, pacing the house, her house, their house, waiting for her to come home. He had considered cooking her dinner, taking her out for dinner, but he knew that wouldn't work in his favour. He wanted to do this at home, with her feeling safe and comfortable, in case anything went wrong or in case it went exactly right.

Temperance Brennan was angry at Seeley Booth, but she also desperately missed him. She had slept in her office last night, she needed space and she'd gotten it, and even though he did text her once he left her alone and she appreciated it.

Now she had finished all her work and she was ready to go home, but she didn't know what to expect. Would he be there? Or would he have gone, leaving her house empty?

She had no idea. And yes, she was scared, she wanted him to be home when she got there, but she also knew her reasons and her reaction had been a little out of balance. So when she got into her car heading for her apartment, nothing was certain in her head except that she wanted him to be home.

Of course he was home, and a smile appeared on her face as she closed the door behind him. 'Hi, Booth.'

'Hey, Bones,' he responded. 'You're back.'

'Yeah, I'm.. I'm sorry about my reaction to the television. It was.. Unexpected. But thank you.'

He smiled nervously. 'Hey, no harm done. It's already installed and ready if you want to watch anything. But first..'

He stopped mid sentence.

'First I want to shower,' she said, putting her bag on the floor in the hallway before putting her coat on the hook.

'Hey.. Come here,' he said, catching her wrist and pulling her to him. 'I missed you.'

She let him pull her close and she nodded into his chest. 'I missed you too.'

Momentarily he forgot about what he wanted to ask her as he enveloped her body in his arms again, remembering how lonely he had felt in their big bed last night. Then he realized something. Bones doesn't feel the pressure to do or act how she thinks others want her to. Did he change her in that? Did she, now, after spending so much time with him, feel that pressure? He hoped not.

'Bones.. I have something for you, but it doesn't have to mean anything if you don't want it to, ok?'

She took a little distance from his body, frowning. 'What do you mean?'

He reached for the small box on the coffee table which she hadn't noticed before now.

Her heart clenched. Her feet carried her to the couch and she sat down, following him with her gaze until he was in front of her. He didn't kneel, he just sat down next to her and handed her the box. 'It doesn't mean anything beyond a simple gift, Bones. Just what you want it to mean.'

She nodded. 'Ok.'

The nervousness in his voice calmed her somehow. She knew that he was not taking to this lightly, so even though it might be too big for her, it was big for him as well. And she found comfort in that.

She touched the lid with her finger, feeling the soft red surface before opening the box.

Then, her heart really skipped a beat. And then another.

In the box was a ring, a beautiful, delicate golden ring with a small ruby in the shape of a heart, shining bright in its glory.

Her heart resumed beating and she let out a sigh, her eyes watering, searching his face looking for the exact magnitude of all of this. This wasn't something that meant nothing if she didn't want it to. This was a proposal.

On his face she found love, hope, and in his eyes she found tears, mirroring hers. She saw the gambler, the man with the heart of a lion, reduced to her answer. And she didn't even want to say no. How could she?

'It's beautiful, Booth,' she said softly, her voice wavering.

'Again, Bones, if you don't want it, just take it as a gift, you know, a sign of my love,' he pleaded. She shook her head, and she saw his heart drop. She reached out to touch his chest, hoping it would comfort him.

'No, this.. This means something,' she started and he dared to meet her eyes again.

'I… I'm willing to gamble with you, Booth,' she said, and he took a minute to grasp her meaning. 'What are you saying, Temperance?' he asked, scared to misread her but daring to hope.

'I.. I believe the proper response would be.. Yes, I do,' she said, smiling at him, a tear running down her cheek, with more threatening to follow.

Again his brain took a minute to register her words. Then, his face brightened like it had on the night she'd informed him about her pregnancy. It started with a tiny smile, spreading across his features until nothing but happiness could be seen. 'You mean.. You mean you want to.. Really? Bones?' His bottom lip started to shake a little as he was trying to hold back his tears.

'Yes, I want to marry you,' she said and she found the words to be oddly liberating. 'It's strange, but I feel ready- -' she started to explain but he cut her off, his arms coming around her to embrace her, pulling her so tight she could barely breathe but she welcomed him, her arms coming around his back, holding him just as close. She felt his tears fall on the skin of her neck, and her own tears fell with his.

'I didn't think you'd like it,' he whispered. 'I thought.. I thought maybe it was too much.'

'It's beautiful,' she said, pulling back a little to look at the ring still in her other hand. 'It's not too much, it's perfect.'

He pulled back, releasing her. 'Try it on.'

She found her hands were shaking as she handed him the ring. 'You do it.'

Everything happening to her was very.. Cliché somehow, and she would've been uncomfortable with it if he hadn't been with her. But his presence was soothing and she didn't have regrets, nor doubts, she wanted this and she didn't know why but it was all very clear to her. She was going to marry Seeley Booth and she wasn't scared by the magnitude of matrimony, she wasn't doubting his commitment to her or her commitment to him. This would work out and she'd have the day she never thought she would have: Her wedding day. Their wedding day.

His hands were shaking too as he softly took her hand and slipped the ring on her finger. It fit her just right, and he lifted his gaze from her fingers to her eyes.

What he found took his breath away.

He found peace in her composure, a peace he hadn't seen before. Her life had clicked with his in a way that was irreversible, and she would have doubts but not right now. And when the doubts did come, he saw in her eyes that when that time would come he'd be able to convince her, able to take her fears away and settle her mind, and that made him happier than ever. 'I love you,' he whispered.

Her eyes met his and without words he knew what their next move would be. She fell into his arms, and he lifted her without difficulty, holding her so close, her head buried in the crook of his neck, her arms around his shoulders. He carried her to the bedroom, ready to prove to her what she was to him, only the reason for his existence.

Their bodies needed each others touch, and Booth carefully laid her down on the bed, his lips finding hers, his tongue ravishing hers, tasting his or her tears he didn't know and didn't care. All he cared about was that he loved her and that she loved him back, she loved him back deep enough to want to marry him. And as his tears mixed with hers on her cheeks, he sent a little thank you to his God, to her universe, to whoever was up there listening.

Barely fifteen minutes later she fell down onto the bed next to him, pulling him with her, her hands on his chest, his arms around her waist. Their lovemaking had been fast and frantic, beautiful and passionate, like them. However, in the silence following, Brennan had unanswered questions. Booth had known that whatever her answer was, a conversation would follow, and he felt her fingering the ring on her finger, looking for a way to start, so he helped her out.

'What is it, Bones?'

She smiled into his chest, he knew her well. Too well sometimes.

'You.. You took a big risk, Booth. You didn't know what I was going to say.'

'No, I didn't,' he answered. 'But it was worth the risk, Bones. Last time was stupid, maybe today was stupid as well but it felt right.'

She sighed. 'I'm glad you asked.'

He sighed with her, letting go of the stress that had followed him around the past hours after buying the ring and while waiting for her to come home. It hadn't felt like this with Hannah.

'You know Bones.. When I proposed to Hannah..—' she interrupted him.

'You don't have to talk about that if you don't want to, Booth.'

'I want to, it's ok,' he answered. 'It doesn't hurt anymore. And you know.. It never felt like this. So right. It just felt safe and I needed that.'

'I know,' she said. 'I needed safe too, that's why I didn't talk to you that much while you were with Hannah. I needed the distance.'

He placed a kiss in her hair. 'I'm sorry.'

She shook her head softly. 'There is nothing for you to be sorry about. But Booth.. Why did you ask me? I've told you before I didn't believe in marriage.'

He smiled at her use of past tense, and she felt it in her hair. She turned her head to look up at him and she saw his face peaceful and soft.

'I hoped it was the same with you as love,' he answered. 'You say you don't believe in love but you do, it's just that you're afraid to say it, to feel it, you know, because you're afraid to hurt me or get hurt.'

He was exactly right and the truth hit home harder than she expected. 'Yeah,' she whispered, because it was all she could say.

'You know, Hannah said she wasn't the marrying kind,' Booth continued. 'But her reasons.. She just couldn't commit, you know. She wanted a good time.'

'She never used you, Booth,' Brennan said, because she knew it to be the truth. She had had a good conversation with Hannah on the phone after Booths proposal. It hadn't been easy for Brennan to hear it, but she was glad Hannah called her.

Booth sighed. 'I know. I didn't mean to say that she had. It was just.. I'd forgotten about that, I wanted to settle down, move on.'

'Because of me,' Brennan whispered.

'Yeah, I was so stupid,' he whispered back.

She looked up. 'It wasn't your fault. I was pretty stupid myself, Booth.'

He shook his head and met her eyes. 'No, babe. I pushed you too much too early, I'm sorry. But that's in the past now.'

She nodded and put her head back on his shoulder. 'Yeah, we're having a baby.'

'No, Bones. We're having a relationship that happens to involve a baby. It's not just about the baby.'

'Would you be here if it weren't for the baby?' she dared to ask.

He sat up, taking her with him, looking straight into her eyes deep down to her heart.

'Yes,' he answered with such truth in his voice she couldn't do anything but believe him. 'Yes, I would most definitely be here if it weren't for the baby. Always if you'll let me, babe.'

She nodded softly. 'Our time has come, hasn't it?'

'Our time was always there,' he answered. 'We just had to see it.'

And he closed the distance to her face, kissing her lips with tenderness, feeling her respond to his touch with a feather light caress of her own. Her hands came to his chest, touching it, pouring her feelings into her touch. He did the same, his awareness suddenly heightened again by the fact that they were still both naked, his hands travelled to her sides, around to touch her breast and he wondered how his life could suddenly be going so great.

'There's nothing wrong with you, Booth,' Brennan whispered and he knew instantly what she was talking about. The night she'd come to get drunk with him after his proposal to Hannah. _'There's something wrong, here,_' he had said. She had started to comfort him but he hadn't wanted to hear it, needing to feel pain instead of being comforted by her.

He smiled into her skin, kissing down her neck to her collarbones, and he stopped only to answer her. 'No, everything is right.'

And it was. There was nothing wrong with him as long as she was there, and there was nothing wrong with her as long as she could go to him. A safety net, someone to confide in, everybody needs it. Momentarily they had lost it when he had sought refuge with Hannah, but it was back, and it was stronger than ever. They were together and they loved each other more and more each day, each time they touched was as magical as the time before, and even Brennan who was often a scientist before a woman believed in the eternity of this love.

So again, the nightfall witnessed a man and a woman coming together in passion, a passion that was insatiable and undeniable. They had always belonged to each other, belonged with each other, and suddenly in a matter of months everything they had ever dared to hope for, whether it be openly or in secret, it was all happening. The speed of it scared Brennan, but it was a good kind of fear, she decided. The ease of it astounded Booth, but he decided it was never a bad thing to be living your dreams so he was just grateful, so very, very grateful.


	15. Happiness

**Author's note: There's more to come. Stay tuned, there's a birthday coming up and some more hotness but first some serious business.**

Uncharted Lands.

15. Happiness.

_Happiness is like a butterfly. The more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder._

The next morning, after they'd spent the remainder of their day and night in bed together, Brennan woke up to an empty bed.

The first thing she noticed was that she didn't feel different. Being engaged didn't feel any different from just cohabitating and somehow that was relaxing.

The second thing was that the man with whom she was engaged, wasn't next to her in the bed. She heard the shower and remembered that last night she had come home craving that shower, but they had never gotten to it, because after his proposal (which he insisted hadn't been intended that way) they had barely taken the time to eat between their lovemaking. Not that she was complaining, but right now, a shower did sound good.

She found her robe on the chair next to her bed, and as she passed the mirror on her closet door she noticed some minor changes in her body. Sighing, she walked past her own reflection without much thought and continued towards the bathroom.

The door was closed, but she knew he wouldn't mind her coming in and sharing, so she opened it and entered the bathroom, closing the door before the chill would alert him to her presence.

He hadn't heard her enter and his back was facing her. The first thought that crossed her mind was that he should really use the shower curtain if he wanted to shower in the bathtub. The second was that he looked breathtaking.

His broad shoulders bore the marks of a warrior, a long scar lower on his back and a visibly lighter spot on his shoulder reminded of the dangers that were always ahead. She knew that at least one of the scars had been on her back if he hadn't been there, but she had learned not to over-think the fact that he would always be between her and the bullet. It scared her, yes, but she knew she couldn't change him and she didn't want to.

She could see the water crashing down his back, and she followed some soap which he had applied to his shoulders. It ran down his muscular back, over his buttocks which were equally toned and down his legs. Her eyes got stuck at his buttocks, because that part of him was just utterly breathtaking. A smile formed around her lips and she moved her attention to his arms, still leaning against the doorframe herself.

His arms looked strong but not overly muscular. However, she knew first hand what kind of strength lay beneath his skin, and it was of a whole other level. Booth was strong. He could be a very powerful man, both in his words and his actions, and although he could hurt her with both, she felt safe with him.

Somehow he felt her presence before he saw her. A smile formed around his lips as well, and he turned around.

'I know, I should really close the curtain when I shower,' he said teasingly, but his face turned blank when he saw her.

The robe tied loosely around her body didn't hide much and he could discern a bruise on her shoulder where his teeth had marked her last night. Her skin was as pale as he had ever seen, almost glowing in the light pink robe.

It were her eyes though that really made his mind shut down. Her clear blue eyes which still held a hint of sleep but mostly they showed trust and love as deep as he himself felt for her.

Slowly, a smile formed around her lips again as she saw once more the power she had over this man, who had lost himself in her so completely. She let the robe slip off her shoulders and she put it on a hook next to the door before stepping over the rim of the tub to join him.

He made room for her, not ashamed of his nakedness but caught speechless by hers, and his hands caught her arms. She looked into his eyes like only she could and he met her with honesty and a smile, like he had so many times. She thought his eyes looked a little sad, but she knew he often looked like that when he was just taken aback, this time by her openness, and so she accepted his sad appearing eyes on her like she had accepted his ring. With infinite grace and greedy like a hungry kitten.

He swallowed as she took the sponge from him and as she washed herself almost clinically he just watched. A chill appeared on her skin and suddenly he was aware of the warm water crashing down mostly on him, and he stepped back, pulling her forward a little so she was no longer in the cold. She whispered softly to him, 'thanks,' but that was the only word she spoke. He just smiled and watched her wash herself, and as his eyes roamed her familiar but oh so beautiful body, his heart clenched as his eyes noticed little changes that were undoubtedly due to her pregnancy.

'Sorry,' he whispered as she looked at a bruise he had caused. The crooked smile and naughty look she cast him was enough to know he was more than forgiven, but naughty was soon forgotten as she put down the sponge and stepped towards him, softly touching his lips with hers. His arms came around her, enveloping her in a sweet hug that had nothing to do with sex if it weren't for his arousal touching her thighs.

She moved a hand down between them to touch it, but he caught her wrist and directed it back to his chest. She met his eyes prepared to argue about oral sex but she knew when to shut up as she saw nothing sexual in his gaze. She had to admit, even though sex had been on her mind a lot lately, right now she would just as easily settle for closeness. He apparently felt the same so she accepted his erection as a natural bodily function that didn't need her immediate attention, and she put her head on his chest, letting his warmth and the hot water crashing down on them envelop her in a haze of early morning intimacy. They were engaged.

When they were finally ready to leave the shower a good while later, she stepped out first, handing him a towel as he shut off the flow. The room was no longer filled by the sound of water, and somehow it created an awkward silence.

'You.. You're starting to look different, Bones,' he said softly, knowing she must have noticed the changes by now. 'Do you feel different?'

She had quickly dried off and was wrapping the towel around her to create acceptable attire for walking around the house. She took a second to answer.

'I.. I feel changes, yes, but they're hard to describe,' she said. He nodded. 'It's incredible, what you're doing.'

She wanted to lecture him about the fact that they made it happen together, but he was right. She herself was in awe of what her body was doing every time she thought about it. 'Yeah,' she just whispered.

He saw that she was scared, like him, but she no longer felt that fear take over her happiness. He could see her consciously push through the fear and when she met her eyes, the doubt was banned to a distant corner. 'Yeah, it's pretty amazing.'

'Do we have time for breakfast in bed?' he asked as he put on jogging pants and a t-shirt.

'Yeah, but I want to go for a run before I go to the lab,' she answered, still in her towel. He nodded. 'Sure, I'll join you.' She nodded her consent and disappeared into the kitchen to fix something to eat, leaving him a very happy man. She hadn't brought up their engagement and she seemed really relaxed about everything, like something had just clicked with her, and he decided to start praying more regularly again because apparently, someone was listening after all.

She came back with some toast and coffee, and he made room on the bed for her. She slipped on her robe again before joining him on the bed, hungry after their light dinner yesterday.

'You know it's really unacceptable for me to not have a proper dinner,' she complained. He smirked. 'I didn't hear you complain yesterday.'

'That's because you were distracting me,' she countered. 'You really should be helping me.'

He knew it wasn't meant as a comment, so he laughed it off. 'Yeah, sure.'

He could see she was trying to start a different conversation, and he could see her struggling. 'What's on your mind?' he asked, giving her an opening.

'Nothing,' she sighed. 'I'm just.. Really happy you tried again. You must have known there was a good chance of me saying no.'

'Yeah, but you know, I'm the gambler,' he said. 'Besides, if it were up to my pride I'd never have the courage to ask you. I'd be too damn scared.'

She smiled sadly. 'I'm sorry, Booth.'

'No, hey, it's my fault too.. And Bones.. I was scared, you know. That you'd say no. But I had to try.'

'So.. It was a proposal after all?' she stated, and it wasn't even really a question.

He answered it nonetheless. 'It was whatever you'd be ready to accept. You know, a symbol of eternal friendship would've hurt, but I'd have gotten past it.'

'I never considered that,' she answered. 'I'm really glad,' he said and she nodded. 'Me too.'

They ate together in silence, lost in their own thoughts.

'Should we.. Plan it already? I have no experience in this field,' Brennan said after finishing her food.

'I don't know, I don't have experience either,' he said. 'But I do know it's nice to fantasize, you know, about what it's gonna be like.

'I'm not going to wear white,' she said decisively.

'Why? I like white,' Booth countered. She shook her head. 'Booth, white stands for innocence and virginity. I think we can agree on that we're neither.'

'Bones.. It's also just pretty,' he said. 'And I like you in white.'

'You'll have to make do with something else,' she stated. 'No white.'

'You know, maybe we can postpone arguing about this for a while and just enjoy that it's gonna happen, ok?' Booth asked, a little annoyed that the first thing she brought up was turning into an argument.

She looked at him, her eyes uncertain. 'Ok.'

He saw her immediately regretting what she'd said and he reached out to touch her arm. 'Hey, it's ok,' he said. 'We can argue about everything you want, just not right now, ok?'

'I don't want to argue about anything,' she said quietly. 'I had hoped we could just make this work.'

'And we will, it's just not like us to get it right the first time,' he calmed her. 'We'll talk about it some more later, you know, when we've adjusted to the idea.'

She nodded. 'Ok.'

He put their plates on the chair next to the bed, disregarding her frown. He knew she fretted about coffee being spilled on her white leather chair, but he had told her she shouldn't have the chair in the bedroom if she wanted to keep it from getting spilled on. He liked breakfast in bed and he wasn't going to let a leather chair stop him from having what he liked.

'You want to go for that run now?' he asked her, and she seemed reluctant to get out of bed but she nodded. 'Yes, it's been too long since I've done any intense training,' she answered.

'Yeah, I've been keeping you busy, huh,' he joked but she didn't seem amused. 'It's really important to have good physical exercise,' she said seriously and he dropped the comment about her not having a lack of physical exercise because he knew she wouldn't appreciate it, so he just nodded. 'Ok, let's do this.'

They ran for a good hour before they curiously found themselves at the Washington monument where they had been very often during their first years as partners but not so much lately. She ran towards the stairs and dropped down, breathing and laughing. 'That was a good exercise. You're in exceptional shape, Booth.'

He dropped down next to her, breathing heavily as well. 'Yeah you too, you're quite a good racer,' he said. 'I thought I was gonna kill you.'

'Kill me?' she questioned, still laughing.

'Yeah, you know, win by like a mile.'

'Never,' she laughed at him. 'I'll always be right beside you.'

'I know,' he answered and their eyes met, the double meaning of her words crackling the air between them. He sat one step lower and he leaned his head on her shoulder. 'This is great, Bones,' he whispered after a while. 'I knew we'd get here in the end.'

She just looked at him and nodded, he was right. It took them long enough but in the end it had always been inevitable.

They walked home and changed quickly before heading off to the lab, where he dropped her off. They had an awkward moment in the lab, because he wanted to kiss her but she felt awkward for reasons she couldn't even explain but he just aimed for her temple instead, forgiving her and with a final squeeze of her arm and smile he left her to her thoughts.

For an instant she had forgotten to worry about their engagement, but as soon as she saw Angela walking out of her office onto the lab platform, she was scared again. Should she tell Angela? Would her best friend notice a change again?

She didn't get time to think about what she was going to do, because as soon as she joined Angela on the platform and asked what she was working on, Angela saw the ring.

'Wow, sweetie.. Where did you get that? It's gorgeous!'

'It's.. Nothing, really,' Brennan answered uncomfortably.

'That's not nothing really, Brennan. Come on, be a pal,' Angela begged. She had recognised the little gleam in her friends eye when she'd come in with Booth, and it was still there now, and she just knew it had something to do with that ring.

'Did Booth give that to you?' she guessed.

Brennan tried to look like she was denying it, but she just couldn't get the words out of her mouth. 'All right, Angela.. Yes, it's from Booth.'

'Wow. That just screams love. Look at the size of that thing,' Angela ogled the ring, taking Brennan's hand in her own to get a closer look. 'Is that real gold?'

'Yes,' Brennan answered and then she figured, what the hell. She's going to find out anyway.

'He.. He says he didn't mean it as a proposal but I said yes,' Brennan whispered. 'But I don't want anyone to find out yet.'

'What? Bren, what did he want it to be if it wasn't a proposal? Oh babe, I'm so happy for you!' Angela enveloped her best friend in a fierce hug, then she quickly released her. 'So that means that all that stuff about not believing in marriage was crap after all?'

'I've always wanted to marry someone, Ange,' Brennan said softly. 'I just never thought I could make someone happy for the rest of our lives.'

'But you can, sweetie,' Angela said. 'You know you can. He'll never find happiness anywhere else.' Brennan nodded. 'I.. I know. And I feel the same. I'm happy, Angela.'

Her friend nodded contently. 'It's going to be the most beautiful wedding ever.'

Brennan nodded as well. 'Booth wants me to wear white but I don't think I look that good in white.'

'Come on honey, if that's what he really wants, just let him have that, ok? You can come up with something you really want him to wear and you'll be even, ok? I think he just wants to be traditional, you know, with the white. And it'll look gorgeous, don't worry.'

Brennan considered it for a moment before she nodded. 'Ok. I'll compromise.'

Angela smiled. 'Don't think of it as compromising. Think of it as just looking gorgeous for the man you love.'

Brennan's face broke into a smile. 'Ok.' It was all she could say, another word would have brought her to tears. Luckily she didn't have to say anything else because Angela enveloped her in another hug. 'I love you, babe,' she whispered. Brennan nodded. 'We're sisters, Ange.'

When she got a chance later that day to be alone, just on her own for a few minutes, the events of the past weeks suddenly caught up to her and filled her. Emotions took over as she didn't know why the tears were falling, just that they were, and after a few moments she regained some composure and thought about everything that was happening. And she realized something:

She was happy.

In another part of town Special Agent Seeley Booth was sitting at his desk, looking at nothing in particular. He gave his bobble-head bobby a push, a smile forming as he saw the head bobbling from side to side. This was his life. He had proposed to Bones, she had accepted, they were expecting a baby, they were living together, he had the right to sleep with her and beside her.. And she had finally grasped the truth in everything he had said to her the past seven years. She could make him happy. And that was exactly what she was doing, every second making him happier and his heart fuller until he knew there was only one word to describe what he felt. Bliss.

**A/N: Some of you commented on how I didn't write the ending. Here's why I've let this rest for so long: I had the entire thing written, 6 more chapters, and then my computer crashed and it was all gone. I didn't think I could write it better than I had before so I left it for a while, until I couldn't and came back to it eventually. I hope it's still a fun story, I'd like to think so, and I'll continue it for a while.**


	16. A Gift

Uncharted Lands

16 – A Gift.

'_the greatest gift is a portion of thyself.'_

After a hard day of paperwork and arguments about cases Booth decided to head to the lab to see if his brilliant partner was still there.

She was, of course, still very had at work identifying old remains. She didn't hear him come in and just like he had done many times before, he stood there and watched her work.

Angela saw Booth enter and she granted herself one luxurious moment of watching beauty play out before her eyes as Booth's attention was caught by Brennan working on the platform. Angela had always known it would be like this when they finally got together, like it had been, only better, and she decided she shouldn't spy on them so she went back to work.

Brennan felt his eyes on her and she looked up. 'Hey Booth, what are you doing standing there?' she inquired. He blinked a couple of times, finding his voice. 'I.. I came to see if you're game for dinner and maybe a movie,' he said quickly.

Brennan pondered the question. 'Game.. Yeah, I'd like that game very much.'

Booth smiled. 'All right.'

'Just let me finish up here, I'll be ready in a few minutes,' she said, and he nodded.

She did indeed take only a few minutes to get ready, and half an hour later they were in her kitchen, now their kitchen. He had opted to take her out to dinner but she had felt more like staying in, and another take-out would not be too healthy so she decided to cook and he was happy to help her. As he cooked the pasta and sauce he added whatever she handed him, while she chopped up vegetables and ordered him around. He took it graciously and every now and then her hand would linger on his side, or his hand would come around her shoulders if he checked on her progress, and it was homely and familiar and new at the same time, but as long as he was there she didn't mind the butterflies in her stomach, and as long as she was there he wasn't afraid to open his kind heart to her.

'This is great, Bones,' Boot said, devouring the food they had prepared with quite an appetite.

'It's like a lot of things we do, Booth,' she said softly. 'What do you mean?' he asked.

'Well, it's a combination of my skills and yours,' she started.

'It's perfect,' he finished, and even though it wasn't what she had in mind to say next, she nodded. 'It is.'

She was talking about food, he was talking about so much more but he didn't mind her ignorance because he was still afraid of scaring her with the intensity of his love for her.

Their chatter and friendly bickering followed them through dinner, and after they'd put their dishes in the dishwasher he opened the freezer. 'I have something for you.'

Handing her a carton of ice cream, he smiled at the look in her eyes. She had always liked ice cream, but her pregnancy had made her crave for chocolate ice cream a lot more than usual. 'Thanks, Booth,' she whispered as she opened the lid and tore off the thin paper separating her from her ice cream.

'You're welcome, Bones,' he answered. 'Whatever I have to do, I'll do it.'

'I don't know what that means,' she said as she found a comfortable position on the couch. He smiled. 'I just meant, that, you know, if you need ice cream, I'll make sure I have it.'

'That's very kind of you,' she said. 'It's kind of my duty,' he replied.

Her face darkened. 'I don't want to be your duty, Booth.'

'No, no, that's not what I meant at all,' he said quickly, joining her on the couch. 'I just meant that.. I guess I meant that I love you and I'll do anything to make you happy.'

Her face softened and his did the same, grateful that she let him off the hook so easily.

'I love you too, Booth.'

Every time she said those words his heart skipped a beat, and this time was no different. He looked at her for a tender moment, then pointed to her ice cream. 'Eat you ice cream, I'll pick out a movie.'

She nodded. 'Ok.'

Movie night was one of her favorite things, and as he rejoined her on the couch and snuggled up to her, the opening credits to Titanic appearing on the screen, she silently thanked him for everything he gave her. She wasn't strong enough yet to say it out loud, to name everything he had taught her and gave her, but one day soon, she would tell him. He had opened his heart to her so much that she felt she had to give something back, not just to him, but to herself as well. But for now she was content to have his head on her shoulder, his hands on her body, sometimes redirecting the spoon with ice cream to his own mouth.

After the movie had finished Booth dared to look at her for the first time since he'd seen her start to tear up halfway through. She hadn't said a word, but he'd felt her grip on his hand tighten, her hand come up to wipe her eyes or her body shift slightly closer to him.

He saw sadness on her face, her eyes teary, evidence of dried tears on her cheeks, but a gleam in her eyes that told him she wasn't sad.

'That was.. Quite an emotional movie,' she managed, her voice soft and thick. He nodded. 'Yeah.. It's about love.'

'It was beautiful,' she said, after she'd composed herself fairly well. 'I enjoyed it very much. Thank you for picking that.' He nodded. 'I have an entire collection I have to show you.' She smiled. 'I'm already looking forward to it.'

He kissed her softly before getting up, extending his hand to help her. She took it and his arm came around her hips to walk with her to the bedroom.

Like every morning, this morning she had made the bed, so there was no evidence of their extensive lovemaking the previous night. However, as she stepped over the threshold she could almost see herself, with him, as images of that night and others flooded her mind. She freed herself from Booth's arm and turned to face him, her eyes happy and calm as they met his.

He smiled at her and bent down to kiss her, and she met him halfway, her lips already aching to be touched by his again. Their kiss was soft and sweet, his hands coming up to caress her sides, up to cup her breasts. A sigh escaped her mouth because even though it was still early on in her pregnancy, her breasts were getting more sensitive to his touch. He remained careful, his touch lingering instead of softly kneading, not sure if it was discomfort or just change she felt. She broke the kiss, looking him in the eyes.

'It's ok,' she whispered. 'It feels so good.'

He smiled and kissed her again, his lips capturing hers, his tongue dueling with hers, his hands now more confident in their journey.

Her own hands cupped his face, caressed down to his broad shoulders, kneading, feeling his muscles respond to her touch. She moved her lips from his mouth to his cheek, down to his jawline and further down to where her hands were trying to move his shirt out of the way to feel as much skin as possible.

He assisted her in opening his buttons, and she deftly pushed his shirt over his shoulders and off his body. Beneath it, he wore a sleeveless vest and her lips broke contact with his skin long enough to pull it over his head and toss it onto the floor with the shirt.

He smiled into her hair, nuzzling it with his nose, his own hands trying to remove her clothes as well.

'Come here,' he whispered and she looked up. He took advantage of the moment to pull her own shirt over her head in one movement and she was left in her bra and skirt, her breasts full against the fabric of her bra. He locked eyes with her for a moment before dropping his lips to her left breast, softly kissing along the line of her bra as his hands opened it from behind. It fell away easily and she released him long enough for the garment to join the rest on the floor.

A gasp escaped her as he licked around her nipple and slowly back up to her neck again. His hands replaced his mouth and she immediately sought his lips again, trying to push him backwards onto the bed but he beat her to it, lifting her carefully and, supporting her lower back and head, laid her down on the bed. She smiled at his romantic side, and tried to pull him down with her, but he avoided her seeking hands and quickly pulled down the rest of her clothes, leaving her naked on the bed in front of him.

For a moment, he was frozen, unable to move. He watched her with growing emotion, and she watched him as she saw his eyes cloud with tears she couldn't help her own reaction. She averted her eyes, unable to take in the truth and clarity she found in his eyes. How could he love so much?

She realized she'd said it out loud when his face slowly changed, tender love taking over in a smile that showed her the answer. It was a stupid question if ever there was one, because she, Temperance Brennan, loved just as much.

He knew she had the answer figured out when he saw her smile back, so he didn't answer her in words. He just removed his own clothes and started kissing down her body again, starting at her collarbone.

His path took him through the valley between her breasts, where he stopped for a second to listen to her heartbeat. Then he moved lower, past the underside of one globe, down further to her bellybutton where he stopped to talk softly to his child. 'We're going to be a family,' she heard him whisper, a quiver in his voice. She nodded, a tear falling down her cheek.

Her hands were in his hair, on his shoulders, and all he felt was Brennan. He didn't know how to tell her how he felt, but he could do something else. He could show her time and time again, and that's what he would do every time she'd let him, like now.

His lips moved lower and lower still, until they met the soft skin where her leg connected to the rest of her body. He kissed it until he reached her inner thigh, where he stopped to check on her and to slow himself down.

Her eyes were beautifully clear, blue pools of wisdom looking down at him, giving him permission to go on, and he saw something else. She needed reassurance. He didn't know what it was exactly that he saw, but he just knew.

'You're beautiful,' he whispered to her. 'I love your brain, I love your heart, I love your body. I love you, Bones.' He was sure he had never said 'love' so many times in one sentence before, but it was the truth and therefore he didn't care about the words. He just cared about her.

She smiled down at him, her mouth opening to say something but no words came out. 'I know,' he just said and he witnessed another tear fall down her cheek.

He concentrated on his task again, softly kissing up to her tummy again. She moaned, her muscles contracting, a liquid fire moving over her everywhere his tongue went. She gave herself to him, everything, mind body and soul, she was his. Her legs spread for him and he moved between them, his hands on her thighs, caressing and opening her to him as well.

He kept his tongue soft, carefully tracing her, driving her insane with his control, but she had no idea what she was doing to him with her uninhibited response. He took it slow to make sure he had an endgame, because this was for her, she who gave everything to him.

She started to move under his mouth, trying to direct him, and he let her because he needed her pleasure as much as his own.

She almost cried with the intensity of her feelings, his tongue touching her exactly right, softly but full of passion, and when he carefully dipped his tongue in her entrance, she lost control of her tears and cried.

He heard and felt her shudder and cry but he knew it was happiness and relief, so he continued to sweetly assault her with his mouth, licking her, building her up to an inevitable climax. He loved her taste, he loved everything about her.

He added a finger, slowly but surely penetrating her as deep as he could. She moaned, and he caught a few words coming from her, her voice clouded with tears. 'I love you, Booth.. More, please.'

So he started thrusting his finger in and out, never stopping the tender touches of his tongue to her clit and around his fingers, and as soon as he added a second finger he felt her hand around his biceps, squeezing him as hard as her inner muscles as she came with a shuddering moan into the pillow next to her.

He brought her down before moving up to kiss her, and she responded wildly, crossing her legs behind his back, pulling his bare member flush against her. He smiled into her mouth, knowing what she wanted and that she wanted it now. She released him just long enough for his mouth to find its way back to her tender breast, and she moaned as he took her nipple into his mouth. He licked softly as his cock found her entrance and he joined them slowly, feeling her walls still fluttering around him from her climax.

'Wow,' he whimpered as he hovered above her, bracing on his elbows.

'Don't speak,' she whispered to him and he obeyed, knowing she felt as vulnerable as he did but also whole, and it was a combination he knew but she didn't and she didn't want to think about it, she just wanted to feel.

He sat up a little, never leaving her body, his hands now free to touch her and his eyes locked with hers as he started to move.

She felt as if her entire body had been sunburned, but in a good way, the attention he was giving her fuelling her desire and her love for him. She felt vulnerable, open, but it didn't scare her like before, because he was there and in his eyes she saw the same vulnerability. He was willing to risk it all for her, so she would risk it all for him. She'd marry him. She'd wear white. She wouldn't compromise on everything, some of the things she'd let him have, like he let her have her things. That was what made them.. Them.

A deep moan escaped him and she saw his face, his beautiful face, strained to control himself, willing his body to last, wanting to enjoy this a little while longer but he couldn't and she didn't want him to torture himself.

His thrusts felt like heaven, and she felt another orgasm approach as he hit her sweet spot exactly right with each thrust. 'It's ok,' she whispered. 'I'm right with you.'

His eyes met hers again, she reached up to kiss him, her hands, her sweet hands on his chest, softly raking her fingernails over his skin, and he couldn't hold on for a second longer.

With a deep howl that came from deep within his heart he came, his head falling back, his body thrusting into hers without finesse, once, twice before he felt her muscles clench around him and he heard her voice call out to him. 'Booth..' And her name for him grounded him, so he whispered back as soon as he had found his voice. 'Bones..'

His voice brought her back to reality as he carefully rolled them onto their sides, never pulling out of her, wanting to feel connected for as long as possible. Her hands still on his chest, she shuddered with the intensity of everything, their lovemaking, his voice, her emotions, and tears threatened to fall again. She wanted to apologize for them, but as soon as she locked eyes with him she forgot what she was going to say.

He looked gorgeous.

His forehead shining with sweat, his cheeks shining with tears, his eyes full of.. Love, trust, vulnerability, tears. He didn't speak, he just held her as close as possible, one arm under her head and another around her lower back, keeping them close and as deeply connected as possible.

His heart was beating wildly with everything he felt for the woman in his arms, and it went so far beyond sexual attraction that even he himself didn't know where his love for her ended and the rest of the world began.

He thought about how he wanted to be with her, the things he wanted to show her, the places, the movies he'd show her, the people he wanted her to meet, the people he wanted her to introduce to him, the parties she would take him to.. But he also thought about protecting her, letting her cry into his chest whenever she needed it, keeping her close, sharing his warmth, cradling her like she would cradle their child. Their connection, it went deep. It made them vulnerable but beautifully strong at the same time, and he knew Brennan understood that too. It scared her, but he knew that with her by his side he'd have the strength to help her through.

She was observing him, watching him as his mind took him far away from her but what she saw made her heart beat as wildly as his. She saw his strength, his determination to make this work, his true lion heart, and she accepted it all because she wanted it all.

After a while of lying together she sniffed and he turned back to reality, to her, lying in his arms.

'Are you ok, Bones?' he asked, concerned.

'Yes,' she confirmed, and she rolled onto her back in his arms. 'I'm just going to use the bathroom, I'll be right back.'

He let her go and watched her as she got out of bed and walked towards the bathroom, looking over her shoulder to reassure him she was fine.

A minute later she was back, still naked, and she turned off the light as she re-entered the room. He rolled onto his back, and she got under the covers to find her place next to him, using his arm as a pillow. His other arm came around her to stroke her back, and she sighed contently. 'You know that I love you, right?' she whispered and she sounded so vulnerable that he had to turn his head and softly touch his lips to her forehead. 'Yeah, of course,' he replied. 'And I love you more than I can tell you.'

'You did mean to ask me, didn't you,' she dared to ask.

He smiled in the darkness. 'You mean the ring? Well.. Yeah.' She smiled as well. 'I'm glad. We really can have it all.'

'I just want you,' came his reply in the darkness, and again, it brought tears to her eyes. She didn't know why, but tenderness hadn't been a big part in her life and the short time she had been with Booth had made her so open that every time he said something as sweet as that, she felt luckier and luckier with every word.

'You have me,' she whispered back, and his arm tightened around her naked form. 'And you have me,' he said, and it was the last thing she heard before she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

As he too followed her in sleep, he had no dreams either. He couldn't. Because no dream could ever equal the happiness he was experiencing while he was awake, and every dream he had ever had concerning her was superfluous now that she was in his arms.

They were each other's gift, right from the beginning, when their lives had intersected and she had looked at him with bright eyes, he had known she was a precious gift. She had taken a little longer to realize it but still, she had known for a good six years that Seeley Booth was a good man. He had given her a lot, and she had tried so hard to give something back until she had realized, not so long ago, that she didn't need to try. She could make him happy without changing, without trying, just like he could complete her life just by being next to her.

They both recognized the value of what they had, they cherished it, and it was enough to live a full life. And that was all either of them had ever wanted.


End file.
